Through Muggleborn Eyes: Year Six
by Kris Pilar
Summary: With Voldemort's return known, the wizarding world is tense and on the edge of panic. Not even Hogwarts is immune to the worry when Bryt Watkins and her friends return to school for their sixth year.
1. Home for Summer

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing of JK Rowling's world. The only characters that are mine are the Watkins family, the Garcías, and Emily Hughes.

**xxxxx**

**SCRIMGEOUR SUCCEEDS FUDGE**

_Rufus Scrimgeour, previously Head of the Auror office in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, has succeeded Cornelius Fudge as Minister of Magic. The appointment has largely been greeted with enthusiasm by the Wizarding community, though rumors of a rift between the new Minister and Albus Dumbledore, newly reinstated Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, surfaced within hours of Scrimgeour taking office._

"Of course they did."

Sixteen-year-old Bryt Watkins looked up from where she was elbow-deep in soap suds and turned to look over her shoulder. She had been washing up the frying pans from breakfast while her best friend, bushy-haired Hermione Granger, sat at the table behind her and read from the _Daily Prophet_. She hadn't noticed, however, the tall, dark-skinned woman who had come into the kitchen.

"When'd you get here?" Bryt asked.

"What, no hi for your favorite Auror?" the woman asked, leaning against the doorframe with a smirk. Bryt rolled her eyes.

"Hello, Emily," Hermione greeted from the table.

"See, that's a proper way to greet someone," Emily Hughes said with a nod, "Not 'When'd you get here?'"

Bryt rolled her eyes again and turned back to the pan she was cleaning. Truthfully, she liked having Emily around. She was an Auror who tried to take time every day to stop by the Watkins household—and was also responsible for the protective spells that kept Bryt's family safe. More importantly, however, Bryt liked Emily so much because the woman was the reason her mother had finally become accepting of the wizarding world and no longer banned any mention of magic within the house.

"And I see neither of you are paying attention to Ministry pamphlets," Emily said in a mock-scolding tone, "Neither of you have asked me any security questions, after all."

"Did we even set up security questions?" Bryt asked, confused.

"Maybe we should," Hermione said, "Especially since we're going to be heading out quite a lot over the summer, Bryt."

"And what's to stop Death Eaters from torturing the information out of us before impersonating us?" Bryt replied.

"You could always come up with things that aren't seen as important," Emily pointed out, "At least, not to them. Like what you wore on a certain day or how you got a specific scar."

Instinctively, Bryt raised her hand to put it over her most recent scar—a thick gash along the upper-left half of her back, gained not even two weeks before—but stopped herself when she remembered how wet her arm was and she didn't feel like changing shirts. Instead, she turned and started searching for a rag to begin drying off the pans she just finished washing.

"Or the specific scent of what candle I got you on what year, Bryt," Hermione said, referring to the fact that Hermione got Bryt a different scented candle for Christmas every year.

"That works, too," Emily said, "Even if Death Eaters got information about the candles, they wouldn't know specifically what kinds. You should also set up trick questions, like Bryt. What'd we have for dinner when I visited last Saturday?"

Bryt gave Emily a confused look.

"You didn't stay for dinner," she said and Emily grinned at her.

"Exactly," she said, "A Death Eater in disguise might try to make something up from information they know, hoping to guess right. Trick questions are as useful as specific ones."

Bryt looked over to Hermione, who looked as if she were already trying to think up the best security questions.

"We're going to have a lot to talk about with Sofí and Julio," she said.

Hermione instantly sat up straighter, starting to grin at the mention of her long-time boyfriend, Julio García. Bryt couldn't blame her, though, considering that Julio was currently in the process of moving to a small home in the middle of London.

"When are they going to be here?" Hermione asked, as if she hadn't already memorized the date.

"Sometime tomorrow," Bryt replied, "They have to finish clearing things with the Department of International Magical Cooperation."

"They'll most likely have an easier time than most," Emily said, "Scrimgeour will probably pull strings since the Garcías are friends with 'The Chosen One' to get them through. Probably so he can call in a favor sometime down the line."

Bryt made a face at the nickname that had been given recently to one of her other friends, Harry Potter. Ever since the _Daily Prophet _had ran an article on what happened in the Department of Mysteries and brought up theories on the prophecy that had been smashed, the public opinion had become that Harry was 'destined' to stop Voldemort.

"They'd probably had been here already if they didn't stay in America for Julio to have one last July Fourth," Bryt said, though she couldn't blame him. Julio was in for a huge change, moving to a new country. And unlike Bryt, who moved here five years ago with her family, Julio was moving on his own. At least Sofí was going to spend the summer with him before heading back to the US for her final year at Salem, after which she'd most likely take up a job at her father's Quidditch and Quodpot supply store.

"Julio's already been accepted for training at St. Mungo's," Hermione said proudly, "He won't begin until next week, though. They wanted to give him ample time to settle into his new home."

"And it'll be nice to have Julio close by again. I've always liked that boy."

Bryt, who had just sat down across from Hermione and pulled over the _Daily Prophet_, looked up to see her mother had come into the room. Mrs. Watkins grinned briefly at Emily before coming over and sitting at the table.

"Julio's eighteen, Mom," Bryt said, "He's not exactly a 'boy' anymore."

"I watched him grow up for twelve years," Mrs. Watkins pointed out, "He'll always be that scrawny little boy to me. Just like you'll—"

"So, when will Dad be back with Mike and Drew?" Bryt cut in, not wanting to have her mother embarrass her in front of Hermione and Emily—the latter of which was smirking from behind Mrs. Watkins's back.

"I don't know," Mrs. Watkins sighed, "Your brothers still hadn't decided what movie they wanted to go see. I mean, at Hogwarts for the past nine months have left them out of contact for what's most recent."

Bryt knew the feeling. Every year, she knew less and less about what was common in the Muggle world. Bryt didn't think too much on it—after all, she rarely kept up on the latest news before she found out she was a witch—but every summer, her brothers went out to see at least one recent movie in theaters at the time. Bryt would have gone with them this year, but she was still strictly under 'house arrest' by her parents after they had found out about her part in the events at the Department of Mysteries. It had been a miracle that she'd talked them into letting Hermione spend the summer with her—though she felt Emily had a part in convincing her parents. She had pointed out that there was a safety in numbers at a time like this and as long as Hermione was around, Bryt would never be able to go anywhere on her own. Besides Hermione staying, the only other exception to Bryt's grounding at the moment was that she would be allowed to visit Julio to help him settle into his new house—and then only because Bryt had promised to help her friend months beforehand. Though Bryt felt she whole-heartedly deserved her grounding, she was hoping that her parents would become more lax as time went on so that she'd be able to visit her other friends over the summer—mainly, Harry and her boyfriend, Ron Weasley.

"You have a new minister?" Mrs. Watkins asked, pointing to the moving picture of Rufus Scrimgeour that was on the cover of the _Daily Prophet_.

"Yeah, after everything with Fudge, it was only a matter of time," Bryt said, still feeling a bit awkward talking to her mother about events of the magical world. Her mother, who used to be so bitter about it, refusing to let magic even be mentioned around her, was suddenly trying to take more of an interest. She wasn't obsessively trying to find out everything possible, but she was occasionally asking questions about current events and skimming through Bryt's copies of the _Daily Prophet_.

"Fudge was practically run out of the office from what I heard," Emily said from the doorway—Bryt had a suspicion that her still standing there wasn't a mistake. Bryt knew from experience that position left a perfect view of both the house's front door up the hallway and the back door on the other side of the kitchen. Emily may be a family friend, but she was still an Auror and it was hard to forget part of why the woman was here was to make sure the Watkins family stayed safe.

"After everything from last year, it's not surprising," Mrs. Watkins said, "If I was a witch, I wouldn't want someone like Fudge in charge either."

Bryt opened her mouth to reply, but was distracted by something small and brown that had just flew in through the open kitchen window. Merlin—Drew's black-and-white cat that had been on the window ledge at the time—let out a hiss, taking off from the room while Crookshanks, Hermione large orange tabby, watched the flying object closely. Bryt sighed, knowing what it was, and stood up, having to climb into her chair to catch the tiny owl flying above their heads.

"Calm down, Pig," she said, trying not to grip too tightly to her boyfriend's tiny owl, "Be still for a second."

Bryt finally managed to get the letter from Pig, then let him go to fly around again. Mrs. Watkins stared at the owl, shaking her head. Though she was becoming more accepting of the wizarding world, there were still things that she wasn't used to. Mail coming in by owl was one of them.

Bryt sat back down, spreading out the letter Pig had delivered, feeling a little too eager for news from Ron—after all, it'd barely been more than a week since she last saw him at King's Cross.

_Bryt,_

_ I hope this letter reaches you before Saturday, but you never know with the Ministry monitoring all letters. __(__and Pig getting distracted on flights. At least he__'__s a bit more reliable than Errol__)__ I know you__'__re still grounded, but can you and Hermione come up on Saturday? Just for the day. Your entire family can come, too, Mum would love to meet your brothers. Oh, and Sofi and Julio are invited as well. They__'__d be here by then, wouldn__'__t they?_

_Hope you get to come!_

_Ron_

"Mom?" Bryt looked up, holding out the letter, "What do you think? Can I go?"

"What part of 'grounded' don't you understand, Bryttanie?" Mrs. Watkins asked without even looking at the letter, "I'm already giving you far too much leeway with letting Hermione stay and letting you visit Julio and Sofí."

Bryt stared at her mother, knowing she was right, but knowing there was another reason she didn't want Bryt to go. Ron was Bryt's boyfriend, and they were sixteen. It was perfectly understandable that Mrs. Watkins would think there was some ulterior motive—even if she didn't have any reason to worry.

"But Ron's not just inviting me," Bryt said, pointing to the letter, "He's inviting Hermione, too. And he said you and Dad and Mike and Drew can come. Even Sofí and Julio. He's _not_ just inviting me."

Mrs. Watkins frowned, staring down at the letter, reading over it this time.

"And how exactly will we get to Ron's home?" she asked.

"The Burrow," Bryt corrected the name, straightening up a little. Was her mom actually going to let her go?

"It's only a few hours away," Hermione spoke up, "I mean, it only took us about three hours or so to reach King's Cross from there when we stayed a couple of years ago."

"And I'm sure we can all fit in the van," Bryt said, trying to count out in her head, "And Sofí and Julio might just decide to Apparate instead, meeting us there."

Mrs. Watkins frowned, obviously trying to think it over. After all, Mr. Weasley had visited a few times and talked with Mr. Watkins often—ever since the two had stuck up a friendship through their curiosity of each other's worlds four years before—but the Watkins family—aside from Bryt—had never visited The Burrow. Bryt knew her father, at least, would love the chance to actually see a magical home and Bryt also had the feeling that Mrs. Watkins would get along well with Mrs. Weasley if they actually got a chance to sit and talk for a while.

Mrs. Watkins started to open her mouth, about to say something, but the doorbell rang. Emily's gaze went straight towards the front door, as if she could see through the wood to see who was on the other side.

"We'll talk about this later, Bryt," Mrs. Watkins said, putting down the letter and heading out of the room. Bryt sighed, staring out the door as she heard her mother open the door.

"Oh, hello Sofí. You're early."

Bryt tensed instantly, looking over at Hermione. Sofí was here a day early? And since Mrs. Watkins didn't greet Julio, it seemed Sofí was on her own. Both girls looked over at Emily. She hadn't moved from her spot, but she had gone tense herself, staring with a focused intent on the door and Bryt noticed her hand had slipped into her pocket, obviously gripping her wand.

Something wasn't right.


	2. Helping Friends

Bryt got up, heading into the hallway with her hand behind her back, gripping her wand tightly. Emily gave a barely visible nod of approval at that, though her gaze was still towards Mrs. Watkins and the visitor at the door.

Bryt had to admit, the woman did look like Sofí. The same black hair that'd been recently cut to the chin, same narrow, friendly face and mischievous dark eyes, same slender frame...She was even dressed in the same style of branded tee-shirt, bangle-covered wrist, short plaid skirt over leggings, and platform boots that added unnecessarily to her already six-foot height.

"What's with the look, Brychelle? Y'act like yeh've never seen me 'fore in yer life."

She even had Sofí's accent and tone down. Bryt stared, starting to wonder if maybe this really _was_ Sofí. After all, it would be very much like Sofí to show up unannounced and early like this. Still, Bryt had to be sure. Thinking hard, Bryt brought up a question that she was sure only three people knew—herself, Sofí, and Julio.

"What was it that gave me the fear of rats?" she asked.

"Bryt, what's gotten into you?" Mrs. Watkins asked.

"Amelia, let her answer," Emily said sharply from behind Bryt. Mrs. Watkins immediately started frowning.

The woman at the door rolled her eyes and cocked her head in just the way Sofí would.

"I madeja watch _Willard_ with me in the middle of the night when y'were five," she said in a bored tone, "Really, y'haven't seen me in nearly a year and _that's_ the first thing y'say? And on my birthday? What's gotten into yah?"

Bryt relaxed, pushing her wand back into her pocket as she looked at Emily.

"That's really Sofí," she said.

"What's gotten into you two?" Mrs. Watkins asked sharply from by the door, "Who else would she be?"

"Amelia, don't you remember what I told you about security?" Emily asked, coming over to Amelia and leading her into the living room, obviously wanting a private conversation. Bryt watched them go, frowning. It was one thing for Mrs. Watkins to be told of the dangers around them, but she was about to be faced with the reality of it, that Death Eaters could be disguised as _anyone_. Bryt could only hope this didn't set her mother back on her opinions of the wizarding world.

Bryt turned back to Sofí, who looked as if she felt she hadn't done anything wrong as she made her way into the kitchen, sitting where Bryt had been moments before. Bryt sighed and followed, sitting down at the end of the table.

"Where's Julio?" Hermione asked.

"And what're you doing here early?" Bryt added.

"I got bored," Sofí said with a shrug, "Julio's doin' all the paperwork, so all I was doin' was sittin' 'round. So I got permission, then decided t'head out fer a while. I'm meetin' Julio at home later." Sofí smirked at them. "And thanks for the birthday wishes. Appreciate it."

"Yeah, Happy Birthday," Bryt said, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. If Sofí expected a party, she shouldn't have decided to drop by at last minute.

"Don't you mean 'at his house'?" Hermione asked curiously and Sofí shook her head, leaning back so that the chair was balancing on two legs.

"Nope, it's _our_ home," she said, "I decided t'move out here with my dear brother."

Hermione looked horrified and Bryt just stared at Sofí, dumbfounded.

"What about your final year at Salem?" Hermione asked, looking as if the thought of skipping a year of education was a criminal act.

Sofí just shrugged.

"Don' need it," she said and Hermione opened her mouth to reply, but Bryt spoke up to cut her off.

"And what'd Dante think of this?" she asked, referring to the only boyfriend Sofí had that lasted longer than a couple of weeks—in fact, the two had been dating for over a year.

"We broke up," Sofí said with a shrug, as if she were commenting on the weather. Bryt just stared at her.

"You what?" she asked, "Why? I thought you really liked him!"

An odd look crossed Sofí's face as she stared up at the ceiling.

"Yeah, well, long-distance ain't for me," she said simply, then the look was gone as she looked back to Bryt, "Anyway, what's it matter? I'm here, that means I getta see yah over Christmas finally!"

"And on Hogsmeade visits," Hermione pointed out. Sofí shrugged again.

"If I'm off work," she said.

"You already have a job?" Bryt asked, taken aback again. It wasn't like Sofí to think that far ahead.

"Not yet, but I got an interview set up," Sofí replied, "This robe shop in Diagon Alley. Madam Malkin's, I think. It's on Saturday."

"You'll miss our trip to the Burrow!" Bryt said.

"If your mom lets you go," Hermione pointed out and Bryt frowned.

"I bet Mr. Watkins'll talk her into it," Sofí said, sounding far too sure of herself. Bryt stared at her, but had a feeling she was right. Her father and Mr. Weasley had been friends for a few years now, and even though Mr. Weasley had visited them, Mr. Watkins had never had the opportunity to visit the Burrow. Bryt doubted anything would keep him from that chance.

"I'm guessin' y'only just recently got the invite," Sofí said, pointing over the fridge. Bryt turned and saw Pig was up there, bouncing back and forth. She had forgotten he was there.

"I guess I'll write Ron and tell him we should be coming," she said, feeling a bit guilty over the fact that she wasn't talking to her mother about this first—but Saturday was too close coming up. Today wouldn't be a good day to talk to her mother, not after the scare with Sofí. She was sure Emily or Mr. Watkins would be able to calm Mrs. Watkins down and make her see reason.

As Bryt headed for her room, she felt a pang of guilt over the situation. Her mother was fine with the wizarding world now, but every time something came up, it was either Emily or Mr. Watkins that calmed her down. Bryt could never think of anything to say to reassure her mother. She was always relying on others to do that for her.

Bryt sighed, trying to push it from her mind as she went to her desk to grab a piece of parchment and quill, writing a quick note to Ron that she'd be coming over with her family on Saturday. Then she headed back into the kitchen where she spent nearly ten minutes trying to get Pig to come down from the cabinets. Hermione tried to help, but Sofí spent the time laughing at them from the table.

Once Bryt finally managed to get Pig down, she gave him the letter, then set him loose out the window. Bryt watched as Pig disappeared in the distance, finding herself looking forward to Saturday already.

**xxxxx**

Bryt and Hermione up at six-thirty the next morning, thanks to the alarm Bryt had set the night before. They both dressed quickly before heading sleepily into the kitchen where Mrs. Watkins had already made bacon and scrambled eggs. To Bryt's immense relief, her mother hadn't gone back to hating the wizarding world. Bryt didn't know what Emily had said to Mrs. Watkins, but she was almost normal, though she was a lot more careful about answering the door and now even more unwilling to let anyone leave the house alone—Bryt had overheard her parents arguing about Mrs. Watkins not wanting her husband to head into work today. Mr. Watkins had finally convinced her that he'd be fine, though only by agreeing to let Emily escort him to work.

"Good morning, girls," Mrs. Watkins greeted Bryt and Hermione, setting a plate of food in front of both of them as they sat down, "You'll need all the energy you can get today."

"Yeah, I remember how it was moving five years ago," Bryt said, "At least there's only two people to unpack for this time."

"I still can't believe Sofí isn't finishing education," Hermione said.

"Sofí wanted to move out here. Would you rather she spend her last year at Hogwarts?"

The look on Hermione's face made it clear that the idea was not something she wanted to deal with. Bryt laughed, going back to her breakfast.

After breakfast, Mrs. Watkins drove Bryt and Hermione through London to a street lined with identical, narrow Victorian-styled homes pressed together. Mrs. Watkins came to a stop in front of one about halfway along and Bryt and Hermione got out, Bryt going around to the driver's side window.

"Thanks, Mom," she said with a grin, "Come and get us around five?"

Mrs. Watkins nodded.

"I'll see you two then," she said, "Stay in the house until you see the van, okay?"

"Don't worry, we will," Bryt assured her mother. Anything to make her feel more comfortable.

Bryt and Hermione turned, heading through the small gate in front of the house before going up the steps and knocking on the door. They barely had to wait half a minute before the door opened and they were greeted by Sofí.

"About time y'two got here," she said as if they were hours late when they were actually a bit early. Bryt and Hermione both knew not to argue the point.

"Where's Julio?" Hermione asked instead.

"In the livin' room," Sofí said, pointing to the nearest door of the narrow hallway before waving towards Mrs. Watkins in the car. Bryt stepped inside the house and noticed there were two other doors in the hallway—one close to the first, and one down at the end—as well as a staircase going up.

"Mornin'," Julio said as Bryt and Hermione came into the room Sofí had pointed out. Bryt and Hermione both gave him a hug—Hermione's lingering longer than Bryt's.

"You got yourself a nice house here," Bryt said, looking around at what Sofí said was the living room—there was a couch, a wizard radio, and an empty bookshelf pushed against one wall, piles of boxes scattered around, and a fireplace on the opposite wall of where Bryt stood.

"I like it," Julio said, grinning, "It took a lot of work gettin' the home ready for us, considerin' we're movin' into the middle of a Muggle neighborhood."

"Hadta make sure we wouldn' interfere with the neighbors whenever we use magic and all," Sofí said boredly, rolling her eyes.

"And make sure anythin' we did wouldn' attract attention," Julio said, glaring at his sister, then turning to Bryt and Hermione, "We can start in here, if y'want."

"Or Bryt and I'll take care of the kitchen while y'two work in here," Sofí said, then without waiting for an answer, she took Bryt by the arm and pulled her down the hallway.

"I can walk, you know," Bryt said, pulling her arm free as they entered the tiny kitchen—there was a stove sitting next to a fireplace, a fridge by a door along the back wall, and a short counter that held a sink and empty space to prepare food and a line of wall cabinets above it. This room was also filled with boxes.

"And don't think they don't know you were just trying to get them alone together so you can tease them later," Bryt went on as she went and opened the nearest box—it was filled with plates and bowls, each carefully wrapped and stored so they wouldn't break in travel.

"And why would I ever do that?" Sofí asked in mock-innocence. Bryt rolled her eyes.

Despite the kitchen being small, it took Bryt and Sofí most all morning to unpack everything. They finished just in time to make a plate of sandwiches for lunch and were soon joined by Hermione and Julio, who were nearly done with the living room.

They spent their entire lunch break coming up with security questions for each other—something Sofí took surprisingly seriously, considering how she didn't seem too concerned about it the day before.

After lunch, Hermione and Julio returned to the living room while Bryt went upstairs to help Sofí unpack her bedroom—the upstairs hallway was just as narrow as downstairs, though it became even narrower towards the back. There were two doors in the wider area—Sofí said the nearest one was going to be a guest bedroom, while the one at the front of the house would be Julio's bedroom, since it was the largest of the rooms and had the most windows to make it feel more 'open'. Two more doors were in the short, narrower part of the hallway, one leading to a bathroom, and the other leading to a room barely bigger than the tiny kitchen downstairs, the boxes of this room labeled "Sofí's Room", then varying in other labels such as "pictures", "books", and "Clothes".

"Wanna start with the books while I get through my clothes?" Sofí asked.

"Fine with me," Bryt said, turning and grabbing the nearest books box, moving it towards the small shelf sitting next to Sofí's desk.

Bryt pulled open the box and started unpacking the books—most of which were on Divination, but there were several fictional stories and autobiographies from adventurous witches and wizards as well. Once Bryt finished with the first box, she pulled over a second, opening it and noticing a red-bound book near the top. Bryt stopped, staring at the book, thinking about the year before when Sofí began acting so strangely on the last day of holidays. The only time Bryt had ever seen the girl get angry. Bryt knew the red book was Sofí's dream diary, where she wrote her dreams that she thought were 'warnings of the future'. Sofí was normal now, but at the time, it had been so strange.

Bryt reached for the book, suddenly having the urge to open the thing and see what it was that made Sofí act so strangely. She stopped herself, however, and mentally scolded herself. Whatever was in that book was private to Sofí, her diary in a way. Bryt knew she'd never want anyone reading her own diary, so she shouldn't go nosing around into someone else's. No matter how curious she was about it.

Bryt sighed, shoving the red book down under the pile, then turned back to her work, distracting herself by listening to Sofí's rambles about how she was actually looking forward to getting to work at a robe shop.

"If you even get the job," Bryt reminded her.

"Oh, I'll get it," Sofí said confidently.

Bryt grinned and shook her head. Sometimes, she envied Sofí's naïve confidence. At least it kept the woman happy.

For the first time, Bryt was glad that Sofí was now living in London. With everything happening, having a more constant contact with the one person who almost never seemed upset was going to do a lot to keep moods up.


	3. Visiting the Burrow

Bryt woke up early the following Saturday, eager to get to the Burrow and visit the Weasleys. Bryt and Hermione were both dressed and ready by seven, then quickly ate breakfast with Bryt's parents and brothers. Just as they were ready to leave about half an hour later, Julio had arrived and they all piled into the Watkins van, with Bryt sitting between her brothers in the middle seats and Hermione and Julio sat in the back while Mr. and Mrs. Watkins sat up front.

Even though they left before eight, it was nearly noon when they finally arrived at the Burrow thanks to a traffic jam they ended up in before getting out of London. Bryt had started grinning the second the noticed the house in the distance, though she saw her mother giving the place a wary look. Bryt couldn't blame her. After all, Bryt remembered her first impression of the house two years ago as looking like a Jenga stack on the verge of falling over. The placed looked like small homes that had been stacked on top of each other, balancing dangerously on the slanted roof of the house below. But Bryt knew that—thanks to magic—the place was as sturdy as her own one-story home—probably sturdier.

As everyone started to get out of the van, they were greeted by Mrs. Weasley coming from the kitchen.

"Oh, you made it!" she said happily, "We were worried that you might have gotten lost, you were supposed to be here nearly an hour ago."

"Yeah, we ran into traffic," Mr. Watkins said apologetically, "It's wonderful to see you again, Molly."

"Likewise," Mrs. Weasley said warmly, "Come on inside, Bryt, Hermione, a couple of envelopes arrived for you not too long ago. I think they're your OWL results."

Hermione suddenly went pale and rushed for the door. Bryt laughed, shaking her head as she and Julio followed with the others. By the time they got inside, Hermione was already standing in the middle of the kitchen with an opened letter in her hands. Julio went straight over to her, but Bryt didn't get a chance to say anything because she noticed Ron nearby.

Bryt grinned and went towards her boyfriend, hugging him tight and—when she was sure no one was looking—gave him a quick kiss.

"It's about time you got here," Ron said with a grin, "Harry's here, too."

Bryt looked over to see Harry sitting at the table, already eating lunch and he waved at Bryt.

"Hey Harry," Bryt said, then blinked as she noticed someone else was there already: Fleur Delacour. Bryt looked over at Ron, who gave her a look saying he'd explain later, then handed Bryt an envelope.

"My OWLs?" Bryt asked, suddenly feeling anxious as she took the envelope. Without waiting for Ron to reply, she ripped open the envelope, pulling out what was inside and reading it quickly:

_ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVEL RESULTS_

_Pass Grades_

_Outstanding (O)_

_Exceeds Expectations (E)_

_Acceptable (A)_

_Fail Grades_

_Poor (P)_

_Dreadful (D)_

_Troll (T)_

_Bryttanie Michelle Watkins has achieved:_

_Astronomy – A_

_Care of Magical Creatures – O_

_Charms – E_

_Defense Against the Dark Arts – E_

_Divination – D_

_Herbology – E_

_History of Magic – D_

_Potions – O_

_Transfiguration – P_

Bryt laughed in relief. She had passed the classes she wanted to with the necessary score to move on to NEWTs—and even achieved an O in Care of Magical Creatures as well. She grinned brightly, reading over the scores again to make sure she wasn't imagining it. She was one step closer to being able to work for MCRS.

"O in Care of Magical Creatures and Potions, knew it," Ron said, smirking at Bryt from where he was looking at her scores over her shoulder, "What about you, Hermione? How'd you do?"

"Not bad," Hermione answered meekly and Julio shook his head.

"Not bad," he echoed sarcastically, "Because ten O's and one E is 'not bad'."

Hermione shot him an annoyed look.

"O's? E's?" Mrs. Watkins asked, looking confused, "Are these the exam results you were worried about, Bryt?"

"Yeah," Bryt said, looking over to see her father had struck up a conversation with Mrs. Weasley now and Mike and Drew were talking to Ginny, "I did really well. O is the best grade you can get, followed by E, then A is the lowest passing grade."

Mrs. Watkins took Bryt's paper and read over it, frowning.

"You failed three classes, Bryt!" she said.

"Yeah, well..." Bryt said slowly, "I wasn't going to continue those classes anyway—"

"What?" Mrs. Watkins asked sharply, "Why?"

"Because they're not needed for the career I want to go into," Bryt said, feeling very uncomfortable all of a sudden, "I've told you before about MCRS. I need to focus on my classes needed for the career. I can't continue taking everything—"

"That's no reason you couldn't have passed the class!" Mrs. Watkins said.

"Calm down, Amelia," Mrs. Weasley spoke up, coming over, "It's actually normal for a student to fail a couple of their OWLs. Even I failed my History of Magic and Astronomy OWLs when I was in Hogwarts."

Mrs. Watkins frowned again, looking down at the paper, but she finally sighed, seeming satisfied with Mrs. Weasley's statement as she handed the paper back to Bryt.

"Well, then it seems you did very well, didn't you?" she said with a grin, though she seemed to still be having problems accepting that it was normal for someone to fail a class as she turned to join Mrs. Weasley and Mr. Watkins's conversation.

Bryt sighed and sat down across from Julio and Hermione, Ron sitting next to her.

"So, how'd you to do?" Bryt asked, looking between Harry and Ron.

"See for yourself," Ron said, seeming very proud of himself as he handed her a folded piece of paper, "One more OWL than you got!"

Bryt looked down at his exam results as Harry handed over his as well. Bryt noticed they both failed Divination and History of Magic as she did, but they had both managed Exceed Expectations in Transfiguration. She also noticed Ron didn't have a single O, while Harry had managed one in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Bryt made herself grin as she handed back their papers, but she couldn't help but realize neither had an O in Potions. That meant neither would be able to continue Potions in NEWT level. Neither of them were going to be able to be an Auror.

It felt unfair that Bryt managed to get the grades she needed for her desired career but neither of them had. At least neither of the boys seemed upset by it. They were still laughing and chatting normally—almost as it had been before what had happened at the Ministry of Magic.

Bryt looked over at Harry at that thought. She had tried talking to Harry about what happened to Sirius after it happened, but she had no luck. She knew from experience that this wasn't something to push. For now, she was just giving Harry his space.

"So Sofí couldn't make it?" Harry asked, pulling Bryt from her thoughts.

"Good riddance, I say," Ron said and Bryt elbowed him in the side. Ron didn't really hate Sofí, but Bryt knew he still didn't want her around—Bryt had a feeling that Ron might be a little afraid of the woman.

"No, she's got a job interview," Julio said.

"Someone's actually mental enough to hire her?" Ron asked, dumbfounded.

"She isn't hired yet," Bryt said, "She just has an interview. At Madam Malkin's."

"Not back in the States?" Harry asked, confused.

Bryt sighed, finding herself giving the story of how Sofí had decided to move to London with Julio—and pointing out they were lucky that Sofí was getting a job rather than finishing her education at Hogwarts.

"Now that I've explained everything," Bryt turned to Ron, dropping her voice to a whisper, "Your turn. What's Fleur doing here?"

Ron glanced to Fleur, then looked back to Bryt.

"She and Bill are getting married," he said.

"They're what?" Bryt asked, surprised. She knew that Fleur and Bill had been dating since the year before, but getting married already?

"Yeah, Fleur's staying here to 'get to know the family'," Ron replied, "Mum and Ginny don't like her much, though."

"Don't blame them," Bryt replied. She had tried hard to like Fleur, especially after seeing how Fleur truly cared about her younger sister, but she found it extremely difficult. Fleur was a very vexing woman—especially when it came to how men reacted around her thanks to her Veela blood.

At that thought, Bryt glanced over at her father, relieved to see he was completely captivated not with Fleur, but with the sink where dishes were currently washing themselves. He was asking Mrs. Weasley several questions that the woman seemed to be patiently answering while Mrs. Watkins had been pulled into a conversation with Fleur. Bryt had no idea what the two could find to talk about, Bryt had a feeling they had nothing in common.

"I'm sure Fleur's not that bad," Julio said, casting a quick glance towards the woman, then became far too interested in his food when he noticed Hermione and Bryt both glaring at him.

After they finished eating lunch, Bryt and her friends decided to head upstairs while Ginny kept trying to keep Mike and Drew's attention. Bryt noticed as she was heading upstairs that the two of them kept looking over at Fleur and Mrs. Watkins, acting as if they'd never seen another human before in their lives. Bryt was confused as she started up the stairs until she remembered that Mike and Drew were thirteen now. Bryt should have been surprised that neither of them had taken an interest in the opposite sex already—not being surprised that they were being affected by Fleur's veela blood.

Bryt wasn't sure what to think about that. Mike and Drew were her little brothers. They were the boys who had asked her dozens of questions about the magical world before finding out they were wizards themselves. The boys who shook her awake on Christmas morning. The ones who came to her for help or advice. They were getting older now, though. Bryt wondered how much longer it'd be before they stopped asking her for help at anything. She knew she and her brothers would always be close but she didn't want to lose being their 'big sister', being the one they always went to.

Bryt tried to push the thoughts out of her head as she followed her friends into a room she'd never been into before at the Burrow, though it was instantly obvious that this room had belonged to Fred and George. It wasn't the two beds that clued Bryt in on that fact. It was the odd smell in the air and the dozens of boxes so the room looked more like a storage unit than a bedroom.

Ron and Julio sat on one bed, Harry sat on another, and Bryt and Hermione started poking through one of the open the boxes. The box Bryt was looking into was full of hats that Bryt thought looked similar to the Sorting Hat. Bryt had no clue what Fred and George would want with fake Sorting Hats and, truthfully, she wasn't sure she _wanted_ to know. Considering they were packed into boxes and still here instead of at their shop, it was a safe bet that there was a good reason for it. Bryt didn't want to risk whatever it was that made Fred and George deem these objects unfit to sale.

"What's this?" Hermione asked nearby. Bryt looked up to see she was holding a small telescope.

"Dunno," Ron replied, "But if Fred and George left it here, it's probably not ready for the joke shop yet, so be careful."

"Your mum said the shop's going well," Harry said, looking to Ron, "Said Fred and George have got a real flair for business."

"That's an understatement," Ron said, "They're raking in the Galleons! I can't wait to see the place, we haven't been to Diagon Alley yet, because Mum says Dad's got to be there for extra security and he's been really busy at work, but it sounds excellent."

"Bet yah anythin' that Sofí decides to hang out there after her job interview," Julio said and Bryt had the strong feeling he was right.

"And what about Percy?" Harry asked, "Is he talking to your mum and dad again?"

"Nope," Ron said and Bryt's anger for one of Ron's older brothers grew when she thought it couldn't have gotten any stronger.

"That little bastard," Bryt hissed, "He knows yer family's been right, he knows Harry's been right, what t'hell's his problem now?"

"It's a lot easier forgivin' someone fer bein' wrong than right," Julio said.

Bryt frowned, not really buying it. She always forgave really easily—at least, when it came to her friends and family. She rarely stayed angry at them long. She couldn't imagine not speaking to her family for nearly a year. She didn't know what was going on in Percy's thick head to have him so determined to stay away from his own family. For someone who was so smart, Percy was one of the most idiotic people she'd ever met.

"Sounds like some mental thing Dumbledore would say," Ron scoffed.

Harry suddenly got a look on his face as if he wanted to say something, but stopped himself and looked over at Julio. Julio seemed to notice the look because he grinned and stood up.

"I'm goin' to head downstairs for a minute," he said, "I get the feelin' Harry wants t'talk to y'all 'bout somethin'."

Julio gave Hermione a quick kiss on the cheek before heading out of the room, leaving them in silence as Bryt, Hermione, and Ron turned back to Harry again. Harry was quiet for a moment, then took a deep breath.

"When Ron mentioned Dumbledore earlier, it reminded me," he said, "Dumbledore's going to be giving me private lessons this year."

"What?" Bryt, Ron, and Hermione asked together.

"Private lessons with Dumbledore..." Bryt said in disbelief.

"I wonder why he's..." Ron trailed off, glancing over between Bryt and Hermione. Bryt wondered if he was thinking the same thing she was. Private lessons with Dumbledore...Was he going to try and teach Harry Occlumency, after the failed try with Snape the year before? Or was it going to be some type of training to prepare him against Voldemort in some other way?

"I don't know exactly why he's going to give me private lessons," Harry said slowly, "But I think it must be because of the prophecy."

Bryt tensed where she had sat down next to Ron. Bryt hadn't heard Harry mention anything about the Ministry during the weeks that followed at Hogwarts. To hear him mention it now made it seem like he knew something about it that the others didn't.

"Harry...That prophecy got smashed," Bryt said slowly, "No one knows what it said."

"Although the _Prophet_ says—"

"The _Prophet's_ got it right," Harry cut Ron off, looking up at the others as if he wasn't sure he truly wanted to be sharing this, "The glass ball that smashed wasn't the only record of the prophecy. I heard the whole thing in Dumbledore's office, he was the one the prophecy was made to, so he could tell me. From what it said..." Harry paused, seeming to have trouble finding the right words. Finally, he took a deep breath and continued, "It looks like I'm the one who's got to finish Voldemort...At least, it said neither of us could live while the other survives."

Bryt gripped Ron's hand next to her, staring at Harry in a mix of disbelief and horror. She had always known that Voldemort would always be after Harry because he was 'The Boy Who Lived', the one who defeated Voldemort not only once when Harry was an infant, but had stopped his plans four other times over the past five years. But learning that a prophecy has stated that one of them would definitely have to kill the other in the end was a disturbing thought, one that Bryt wish she hadn't known. Even though she admitted she had always known it would come to this, before she could still deny it, pretend it wasn't true. Now she couldn't do that anymore.

A loud bang nearby caused Bryt to jump and spun around to see Hermione coughing as black smoke faded from around her and Bryt noticed Hermione now had a nasty black eye. Bryt jumped up, heading over to her.

"I squeezed it and it—it punched me!" Hermione said, staring at the telescope in her hands, which now had a small fist tangling from a spring on one end.

"I'm sure Julio'd get it fixed quick," Bryt said, and as if on cue, the door opened and Julio came in.

"I heard a bang, everythin' okay?" he asked, then noticing Hermione and hurried over to her quickly, "What happened?"

"One of Fred and George's prank things punched her," Ron said, looking like he was trying very hard not to laugh now. Bryt probably would have found it amusing herself if it weren't for the fact her mind was still reeling around what Harry had just told them. While Julio was trying to help Hermione with her bruise, Bryt watched Harry, trying to find anything to say that could comfort him—though even if she could, she wouldn't be able to say it. Not with Julio in the room. It wasn't that she didn't trust Julio, it was the fact that this was something private. Something that had to stay between just Bryt, Ron, Hermione, and Harry.

"I can't get it t'budge," Julio said, frowning, still holding Hermione's face gentle in one hand and his wand in the other, "I don' understand, the spell usually works."

"Probably Fred and George thought it'd be funny to make sure it didn't come off," Bryt said.

"But it's got to come off! I can't go around looking like this forever!" Hermione said, her voice raising a bit.

"It don' look that bad, Hermione," Julio said.

"I'm sure Fred and George will have some antidote," Bryt said, "They'd have to in case their pranks backfired on them in testing."

"You mean I'll be stuck with this until we go to Diagon Alley?" Hermione asked, horrified.

"Hermione, it don' look that bad," Julio said.

"Besides, we can just ask Sofí to get some for you," Bryt said, "I'm sure she'll spend a lot of time at Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, she gets on well with Fred and George."

Hermione looked like she didn't like the idea of relying on Sofí for anything and Julio seemed to notice the look as well.

"It's either that or waitin' until y'can go yerself and ask," he said, which seemed to decide for Hermione.

"Fine, we can ask Sofí about it tomorrow," she said, sitting down on the edge of bed, gently touching the bruise around her eye.

"Black eyes aren't that bad, 'mione, trust me," Bryt said, referring to the fact herself had dealt with a black eye herself a month before after hitting herself in the eye during her Astronomy OWL.

Hermione sighed and it seemed decided that it was now time for a change of subject as the talk shifted towards Hogwarts and who they might have as a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year.

"Actually, I met him," Harry said suddenly, "When Dumbledore got me from the Dursleys. His name's Horace Slughorn."

"What's he like?" Ron asked.

"He looks a bit like a walrus, and he used to be Head of Slytherin," Harry said and Bryt sighed. That wasn't going to bode well for anyone outside of the Slytherin house.

"Did he seem like he'll be a good teacher?" Hermione asked.

"Dunno," Harry said with a shrug, "He can't be any worse than Umbridge, can he?"

"If he was Head of Slytherin?" Ron asked.

"Snape's Head of Slytherin," Hermione said, "And you have to admit, he is a good teacher—"

"Even though he's a prejudiced prick," Bryt said. Hermione glared at her, but didn't say anything.

"I don't think Slughorn's like that," Harry said, "He told me that my mum was one of his favorite students, actually."

"A Slytherin who doesn't hate Muggleborns?" Bryt asked in shock.

"Are you sure he wasn't pulling a trick on you or something?" Ron asked in equal disbelief.

"I don't think so," Harry said, "He doesn't seem to care much about Houses, though he seems to care a lot about students with talent. He's got all these pictures of past students and told me about all the favors he gets because they're famous or in high positions in the Ministry."

Bryt snorted.

"Sounds like he's some type of vampire," she said, then on their confused looks, "He just feeds on other's fame instead of blood. I'd watch myself around him, Harry. You'd be a perfect prize."

"Dumbledore did say Slughorn would try to 'collect' me," Harry said.

"Well, as long as he's a good teacher," Hermione said, as if that settled the matter.

Over the next hour, the conversation drifted over several topics: Quidditch teams, Sofí's chances of getting a job at Madam Malkin's, and Julio's job at St. Mungo's. The last of which led to an interesting story about a woman who came in with a horse's tail growing out of her forehead.

All too soon, Mrs. Watkins was calling for Bryt, Hermione, and Julio, saying it was time to go. Bryt gave Harry a quick hug and Ron a longer one and a kiss on the cheek, promising that she'd try to come visit again soon—or at least plan their Diagon Alley trip for the same day.

Bryt gave Ginny a hug goodbye as well when she came downstairs, as well as accepting one from Mrs. Weasley. Just out of politeness, Bryt waved to Fleur, then ushered Mike and Drew out since they were still staring at Fleur from nearby.

"She's engaged, boys," Bryt said as she opened the van for them. Drew went red in the face and Mike glared, apparently not appreciating the joke. Bryt just grinned back, though she still wasn't sure if she was used to the idea of her brothers starting to take interest in dating. It was going to take a lot of getting used to. Bryt would just have to see how things went once they were back at Hogwarts.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Sorry for such a long hiatus. I hadn't meant for this to happen, but the past month left me focusing a lot on my classwork and other things left me with little time to write. I've now how a much lighter work load for school, so I can start focusing on writing again.


	4. Summer Days

Bryt and Hermione spent the next couple of weeks enjoying time with Mike and Drew and visited often by Julio, Emily, and Sofí when they weren't working—since Sofí had miraculously managed to get the job at Madam Malkin's. The days of watching movies or playing board games seemed to bring a normal feeling, bringing Bryt back to days in Charleston before she had learned she was a witch. If it weren't for the fact some subjects ended up turning to news in the wizarding world often, Bryt could sometimes forget about the war brewing around them, pretend life was as normal as it could be for a sixteen-year-old Muggleborn.

Honoring her parents' terms with grounding, Bryt didn't get to visit Ron and Harry again until nearly three weeks later when Mrs. Watkins permitted her to go for Harry's birthday. Mr. Watkins was working and Mrs. Watkins seemed to be coming down with a summer cold, so Bryt and Hermione were going on their own with Julio and Sofí—Mike and Drew had decided they wanted to stay home as well.

Since it was just the four of them going, Bryt and Hermione were able to sleep in and arrived by side-along Apparating with Sofí and Julio to the Burrow. When they came inside, Sofí was the first to speak, greeting Ron and Harry like old friends—much to Ron's annoyance. Sofí turned to greet Mrs. Weasley and Bill next as Bryt hugged Ron and Harry. Even Fleur, to her credit, took Sofí's hand when offered and greeted her kindly. Though Fleur's face showed she obviously didn't approve of Sofí's appearance, she had the decency to keep it to herself, probably used to how Tonks dressed all the time.

Bryt spent the morning playing two-on-two with Harry, Ron, and Ginny—Bryt and Ron on a team, Harry and Ginny on the other—while Hermione, Julio, and Sofí watched. Well, more like Hermione and Julio talked with each other while Sofí kept complaining about how boring Quidditch was and how Quodpot was a better game until Ron finally threw the apple they were using at Sofí in annoyance.

"Now, now, be nice!" Sofí teased, tossing the apple from hand to hand.

"Well, if you'd shut up, Ron wouldn't throw things at you," Bryt called back down, "C'mon, toss the apple back up."

"No, yeh'll jus' throw it at me again," Sofí said with a laugh, hiding the apple behind her back.

"C'mon, now you're just being childish," Ginny said.

"Yep," Sofí said, grinning.

Bryt rolled her eyes, about to pull out her wand to use a Summoning Charm to get the apple back when the door to the kitchen opened and Mrs. Weasley poked her head out.

"Lunch is ready," she called.

The attempt to get the apple from Sofí was immediately forgotten as the four landed, ready to eat. As Julio and Hermione got up from where they were sitting on the ground, Sofí tossed the apple to a nearby bush where a garden gnome snatched it up instantly.

Lunch went by cheerfully as Sofí talked about her job at Madam Malkin's—Fleur warmed up to Sofí considerably when the French witch learned Sofí worked in a robe shop. As the meal went on, Bryt was glad to see that Ron seemed to finally be warming up to Sofí himself, probably finally getting used to Sofí's eccentric nature after three years—of course, Ron had only begun spending extended amount of time around Sofí the summer before at Grimmauld Place.

Halfway through eating their cake, however, the mood changed as Remus Lupin, the man who taught Defense Against the Dark Arts in Bryt's third year—and her personal favorite teacher—arrived, looking grim.

"There have been another couple of dementor attacks," Lupin said as he sat down and Mrs. Weasley gave him a slice of cake, "And they've found Igor Karkaroff's body in a shack up north. The Dark Mark had been set over it—well, frankly, I'm surprised he stayed alive for even a year after deserting the Death Eaters; Sirius's brother, Regulus, only managed a few days as far as I can remember."

Bryt had suddenly lost her appetite for her cake and put down her fork, frowning. Bryt hadn't exactly liked Karkaroff, but she didn't want to see him dead. Sofí looked confused as to who Karkaroff was. In truth, Bryt couldn't remember if she ever mentioned the Durmstrang headmaster in her letters to Sofí two years earlier when the Triwizard Tournament took place at Hogwarts. If she did, it wouldn't surprise her if Sofí just didn't remember.

"Yes, well," Mrs. Weasley said, "Perhaps we should talk about something diff—"

"Did you hear about Florean Fortescue, Remus?" Bill cut in.

"The ice cream shop guy?" Sofí asked, frowning, "I noticed his shop's been closed the past few days."

"He used to give me free ice creams," Harry said, "What happened to him?"

"Dragged off, by the look of his place."

"Shame, he was a nice guy," Sofí said gloomily in a rare moment of seriousness.

"Talking of Diagon Alley," Mr. Weasley spoke up, "Looks like Ollivander's gone, too."

"The wandmaker?" Ginny asked as Bryt stared in disbelief.

"That's the one," Mr. Weasley said, "Shop's empty. No sign of a struggle. No one knows whether he left voluntarily or was kidnapped."

"But wands—what'll people do for wands?"

"They'll make do with others," Lupin said, "But Ollivander was the best, and if the other side has got him it's not so good for us."

Bryt frowned, staring at her half-eaten cake. She could easily remember getting her wand from Ollivander years ago. It was the shop where everyone got their wands. It didn't seem right for him not to be there. It was like waking up one morning to discover a favorite restaurant was closed. People could eat out elsewhere, but it just wasn't the same.

There wasn't much talk after that and Bryt, Hermione, Julio, and Sofí had to leave shortly after with promises to come visit again when they could. Luckily, the next morning brought up the best excuse for that as their school supply lists came in the mail. Through letters with Ron, they made plans to meet up and do their shopping together the following Saturday. Mrs. Watkins was wary about the plan since she was still feeling sick and Mr. Watkins would be working. They finally convinced Mrs. Watkins, though, after Emily proposed going with them and Bryt said that Julio would be off work so he'd be coming along as well. Mrs. Watkins was also calmed by the fact that Emily said they were meeting up with the Weasleys and they were sure to have guards since Harry was with them. All the extra security that would be around Bryt, Mike, and Drew was the last thing needed to convince Mrs. Watkins to let them go.

Bryt realized this would be the first time she went school shopping with her brothers—she had been in Charleston before their first year and her mother had got her supplies for her and Bryt had been at Grimmauld Place before their second. Bryt still didn't like the fact that she hadn't been there for Mike and Drew's first trip to Diagon Alley, but at least she would be going with them this time.

"How different do you think Diagon Alley will be?" Hermione asked the night before their trip as they finished getting ready for bed.

"Sofí says the place seems to be getting run-down," Bryt said, "And you can't go anywhere without seeing notice posters from the Ministry of Magic or dealing with people trying to con you into buying worthless items they claim can protect against curses."

Hermione got a disgusted look on her face.

"I can't believe this. They're preying on people's fears. It's disgusting."

"They're bastards," Bryt agreed, flopping back on her bed and turning to stare at her barn owl, Joey, in his cage on her dresser, "At least Sofí was nice enough to do a money exchange for us yesterday. She said it takes hours to get through Gringotts lately because of the security."

Bryt heard creaking springs and knew Hermione had sat down on her cot in the corner of the room. Bryt sat up herself, turning to her friend.

"That will save us a lot of time tomorrow," Hermione said.

"Thankfully," Bryt said, "I have a feeling tomorrow we're going to end up spending as little time as possible at Diagon Alley."

"I doubt anyone is going to spend more time than they have to away from home," Hermione said.

"I know," Bryt said with a sigh, "Ron was saying Mrs. Weasley was close to keeping him and Ginny from going back to Hogwarts. Terry said his mom was close to keeping him home, too, in his last letter."

"I bet there's quite a few students won't be returning," Hermione said, frowning, "I can't blame parents for wanting to keep their children home. They're frightened."

"But Hogwarts is the safest place they can be," Bryt said.

"And it's proven in the past it's not impenetrable."

Bryt frowned. Hermione had a point. After all, there had been two people who have managed to successfully break into Hogwarts in the past: Sirius Black, though transforming into a dog and sneaking past dementors in their third year, and Barty Crouch Jr., who used Polyjuice Potion it impersonate Mad-Eye for nearly an entire school year before he was discovered.

"But I'm sure they'll have better security this year," Bryt reasoned, "I mean, especially with the fact Harry'll be there."

"The castle is still a large place," Hermione said, "They can't secure everything."

Again, Bryt knew Hermione was right. No matter how secure people say Hogwarts is, there was still the chance someone could get through. Bryt wasn't going to say anything like that to her mother, though. Mrs. Watkins was worrying enough as it was about her family's safety. As far as Mrs. Watkins was concerned—and luckily, Emily was more than happy to comply—Hogwarts was a fortress, the safest place in the world. Anything to make Mrs. Watkins feel more at ease about being away from Bryt, Mike, and Drew for several months like they were at school.

_'I hate lying to Mom, but it's to help keep her at ease,'_ Bryt thought, though it didn't do anything to subdue the guilt. Bryt had the feeling it was going to be a long year at school.


	5. School Shopping

Bryt knew as soon as she entered the Leaky Cauldron that she had been right about Diagon Alley was different now. There wasn't a single person in the once-crowded pub—aside from them now—and the once-cheerful Tom barely even looked up from cleaning his glass behind the counter.

"You lot find a seat," Emily said, "I'll get us something to drink while we wait."

Bryt found a table with a good view of the front doors and sat down with Mike and Drew on either side of her. Hermione and Julio sat opposite them while Emily went to talk to Tom.

"Drew and I can shop on our own, you know," Mike said stubbornly.

"No," Bryt answered instantly, "I'm sorry guys, you're not going anywhere on your own."

"C'mon, Bryt," Mike said, starting to sound annoyed, "It's not like someone's going to attack us in the middle of the street here."

"Mom wants us to stick together, Mike," Drew said before Bryt could say anything, "I don't think we should go off on our own."

"What Mom doesn't know won't hurt her," Mike shot back.

"Yeah, well, I'm not letting you out of my sight."

They all looked up to see Emily had come back, giving Mike a hard look that gave Bryt no doubt that Emily was a definite force to be reckoned with as an Auror. Mike visibly shrunk back at the look and quickly stared down at the table. Emily handed each of them a bottle of butterbeer before sitting down next to Hermione.

"Sorry Emily," Mike muttered.

"Just remember this isn't a time to go running off," Emily said sharply.

Mike just nodded in response, still not looking at Emily.

As time passed, Bryt watched as people came in and out, very few pausing long enough for a passing greeting to their little group, and even then it was barely more than a short nod. The only people who actually stopped at all were Hannah Abbott, a Hufflepuff in Bryt's year that she was friends with, and her mother, having just finished Hannah's school shopping. Drew greeted Hannah enthusiastically, having always been fond of this particular prefect from his House, and Hannah greeted Drew equally warm. They introduced the Abbotts to Julio and Emily, then spent a couple of minutes chatting about upcoming classes at Hogwarts before Mrs. Abbott insisted that she and Hannah start heading home.

It was a full hour and two butterbeers later before the Weasleys finally arrived with Harry and Bryt started grinning brightly as she noticed Hagrid was the security that had been assigned to Harry's safety.

"You could have told us," Bryt said, turning to Emily as they stood up.

"And ruin the surprise?" Emily replied with a grin and made her way over to the others, "Nice to see you again, Hagrid."

"Hey, Hagrid!" Bryt said brightly, "Great to see you again!"

"Same here," Hagrid replied, pulling Bryt and Hermione both into a hug that left them out of breath, then he noticed Julio, "And who're you?"

"This is Julio, we've told you about him," Hermione said brightly.

"Righ', righ'!" Hagrid gripped Julio's outstretched hand and shook it, "Nice t'meet yah, Julio!"

"Same here," Julio replied with a grin, "Bryt and Hermione've told me a lot 'bout yah."

"Well, we really should get going," Mrs. Weasley said suddenly as Bryt greeted Harry, Ron, and Ginny, "I want to get through shopping as quickly as possible."

With that, the group headed out into Diagon Alley and Bryt frowned. She had heard from Sofí that the place was run-down, but it still didn't prepare her for the truth. What was once a vibrant, busy, brightly colored street of shops now resembled a near-ghost town. Several stores were boarded up and the ones that were still opened were wallpapered with wanted posters and Ministry notices. Drew moved closer to Bryt while Mike was staring at the posters as if trying to memorize them. Bryt ignored the posters and also tried to ignore the stall owners trying to sell their useless wares.

"I can't believe people would actually buy any of these things," Mike said, glaring at one vender shaking a handful of necklaces at them as they passed, "Wait, never mind, I bet Natalie's going to show up with one."

"She may believe in _The Quibbler_," Drew said, "But I think she'll know not to believe these idiots."

"She'd think buying one would be a funny joke," Mike replied, "In fact, maybe I should buy one for her."

"Those things are probably cursed, Mike, so don't even think about it," Emily said sharply, glaring at a nearby vender, "They're lucky I'm watching you guys. I'll have to come back later to arrest a few people."

Bryt had no doubt that Emily was being completely serious.

"I think we should go to Madam Malkin's first," Bryt spoke up, "Get our robes done and over with."

Bryt needed new robes since hers ended up ruined during the fight at the Ministry—along with one of Bryt's favorite shirts—and Hermione had been talking about wanting some new dress robes, though Bryt didn't understand why. Mrs. Weasley also said that Ron and Harry both needed new ones as well.

And Bryt knew that if they tackled getting robes first, they could give Sofí the excuse they had more shopping to do so they didn't end up talking with her all day when Sofí should be working.

"It doesn't make sense for all of us to go to Madam Malkin's," Mr. Weasley said, "Why don't those who need robes go with Hagrid and we can go to Flourish and Blotts and get everyone's school books?"

"I don't know," Mrs. Weasley said slowly and Emily looked equally unsure.

"I'm not too sure we should split up," she said.

"Don' fret, they'll be fine with me," Hagrid said with the wave of his hand—which Julio had to duck out of the way of to keep from being hit accidentally.

"And I'll go with 'em, too," Julio said, which seemed to make Emily feel better at least.

It took some convincing, but Emily and Mrs. Weasley finally agreed to split up shortly. Bryt told Mike and Drew to stick close to Emily as they headed towards Flourish and Blotts with Ginny and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Bryt turned with the rest of the group and headed for Madam Malkin's. As they got closer to the robe shop, Hagrid opted to stay outside, so the rest went in on their own.

"I'm not a child, in case you haven't noticed, Mother," came a very familiar voice from the back of the shop, "I am perfectly capable of doing my shopping _alone_."

_'Damn, Malfoy,'_ Bryt thought bitterly, clutching her hands into fists. The Slytherin was one of a small few students that Bryt actually hated at Hogwarts, and for good reason.

"Now, dear," Madam Malkin called as she disappeared into a back room, carrying a bundle of cloth, "Your mother's quite right, none of us is supposed to go wandering around on our own anymore, it's nothing to do with being a child—"

"Hmph," Malfoy cut in, coming into view from behind a rack of clothes, moving towards a mirror to get a better look at the robes he was being fitted for. A second later, Bryt noticed Sofí follow behind, holding a pin cushion in one hand and a loose pin in the other. It took all Bryt had not to start laughing right then. Sofí García and Draco Malfoy in the same room...This was bound to be interesting. A quick glance around at the others showed that Harry, Hermione, and Ron were all thinking the same thing as Harry and Ron were both trying to fight back grins while Hermione looked slightly worried.

Malfoy seemed to notice the others in the mirror reflection and started glaring.

"If you're wondering what that smell is, Mother, a couple of Mudbloods just walked in," he said, then let out a yell and glared at Sofí next to him.

Where once they would have retaliated for the slur, it was now all Bryt and her friends could do to keep a straight face as Sofí gave Malfoy one of her trademark innocent, apologetic grins.

"Sorry 'bout that, sir," Sofí said in a diplomatic way that Bryt couldn't believe was coming from the young woman, "But y'really should be still."

Sofí then told Malfoy to don't be something that caused Bryt, Ron, and Harry to laugh while Julio and Hermione both just stared as if they were unsure whether to be angry or shocked, or both.

"_What_ did you just call my son?" Mrs. Malfoy snapped, her and her son's faces going an equal shade of red.

Again, Sofí just gave an innocent grin.

"I didn' call him anythin'," she said, "I said he should be still so he don' get pricked."

"How dare you talk to me like that!" Malfoy snapped, starting to yank off the robes just as Madam Malkin came back in, apparently to see what the commotion was about, "Mother—I don't think I want these anymore—"

"You're right, Draco," Mrs. Malfoy said, standing tense and still glaring at Sofí—her insult seemed to have made the Malfoys forget Bryt and the others were standing nearby, "Now that I know how disrespectful the workers are...We'll do better at Twilfitt and Tatting's."

The two Malfoys left, obviously still too fuming to remember who else was in the shop. Madam Malkin looked confused, then rounded towards Sofí, who was still standing there with the pin cushion in her hand and robes in a pile at her feet, pulling off a very believable confused look.

"What happened?" Madam Malkin demanded.

"I don' know, madam," Sofí said, again in an air of diplomacy and innocence that was so unlike her, "I accidentally poked the young man with a needle, an' he an' his mom jus' lost it."

Madam Malkin stared at Sofí for a moment, then seemed to accept the story—Bryt wouldn't be surprised if the Malfoys were frequent problem customers in the past. Then Madam Malkin turned to the others, asking what they were there for. Once they said, Madam Malkin instructed Sofí to handle Bryt's fitting and Hermione's dress robes while she took care of Ron and Harry's robes.

"Sofí, y'really need t'watch yerself," Julio hissed as Sofí pointed Hermione towards a rack of women's dress robes and grabbed a tape measure to start taking Bryt's measurements for her new school robes, "Y'could've been fired fer that."

"Which is why I made sure Madam Malkin didn' hear me," Sofí replied quietly, a grin on her face, "I know the Malfoys well enough from Bryt's letters t'know they'd be a problem, so I figured my boss'd believe me that they stormed out fer no reason."

"I thought it was bloody brilliant," Bryt said, then yelped as Sofí snorted, her hand slipping and she accidentally poked Bryt in the arm with a needle.

"Sorry," Sofí said, then shot Madam Malkin a reassuring grin when the woman looked over at Bryt's yelp, "Everythin's fine here!"

Madam Malkin nodded, then turned back to her own look and Sofí stared at Bryt.

"'Bloody brilliant'?" she echoed in a whisper, "Y'really have 'come a Brit, haven'cha, Brychelle?"

Bryt chose not to respond, not that Sofí would have given her much chance. Starting on a different part of the robes she was fitting on Bryt. She seemed determined to take her time—either that or it was because she was still new to the work—because she had barely gotten halfway done by the time Ron came over, Madam Malkin finishing with his robes.

"Y'really should get some dress robes, too, Bryt," Sofí finally said.

"Don't need any," Bryt replied shortly. After her fiasco of an experience in dress robes during the Yule Ball about a year and a half before, Bryt wanted nothing to do with any type of dress.

"Y'never know," Sofí said in almost a sing-song tone. Bryt glared at her.

"I'm not getting dress robes, so just forget it," she said and Sofí gave a long sigh.

"Sometimes I wonder if you're even actually a girl, Brychelle."

"Oh, she's definitely a girl," Ron spoke up.

Bryt felt the heat rush to her face and her eyes go wide as Sofí literally fell back onto a stool, laughing. Hermione and Julio both stared at Ron, dumbfounded.

"Y'sound so sure of that," Sofí asked and Bryt wished she could just disappear, "Y'two been up t'somethin' yer parents wouldn't approve of?"

Ron seemed to finally realize what he said as he suddenly went red-faced himself and immediately hurried back over to where Harry was getting his robes fitted. Bryt wished she could have run off, too, but was stuck standing on her stool, enduring Sofí's relentless teasing while Sofí finished the fitting. It didn't matter that Sofí knew Bryt wasn't the type for that particular romantic expression—even if she and Ron had been dating for over a year now—in fact, Sofí knowing that seemed to make the tormenting worse. Especially since this was one of the rare times that Sofí managed to find something to get under Bryt's skin about. It was a relief to finally have it over with and give Sofí the excuse they had more shopping to do, then hurried out of Madam Malkin's.

"Got ev'rything?" Hagrid asked them, grinning.

"Just about," Harry replied, "Did you see the Malfoys?"

"Yeah, bu' they wouldn' dare make trouble in the middle o' Diagon Alley, Harry. Don' worry abou' them."

Bryt doubted it, but she couldn't tell Hagrid otherwise because the Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Ginny had just returned with Emily, Mike, and Drew, all carrying packages of books.

"Everyone all right?" Mrs. Weasley asked, as if she had expected them to be attacked while she was away, "Got your robes? Right then, we can pop into the Apothecary and Eeylops on the way to Fred and George's—stick close now."

They didn't spend much time in the Apothecary, moving quickly to restock their supplies for school—except for Harry and Ron since they weren't continuing Potions. They stayed a little longer in Eeylops Owl Emporium, however, where Harry, Ron, and Bryt bought treats for their owls and Bryt helped Drew pick out a toy for his cat Merlin—the toy being a catnip mouse that was enchanted to run around on its own.

With all their shopping for school done, Mrs. Weasley announced they had only a few minutes to spare to look around Fred and George's joke shop before starting down the street and Mike started to get excited. It was obvious that this was the one moment he was looking forward to most at Diagon Alley and Bryt realized this would be his first time in any type of wizarding joke shop—after all, Mike and Drew were heading into their third year now. They'd never been to Hogsmeade, thus never had to chance to visit Zonko's. Bryt grinned to herself. At least there was one first in the wizarding world she'd be able to share with her brothers.


	6. Following Malfoy

It didn't take long at all to find Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. It would take a blind person to miss this store in the middle of Diagon Alley. Where the rest of the street was dull and gray, Fred and George's store was an explosion of bright colors and movement. One side of the store displayed different types of merchandise while the other held a large, bright sign with flashing letters:

**WHY ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT**

**YOU-KNOW-WHO?**

**YOU SHOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT**

**U-NO-POO—**

**THE CONSTIPATION SENSATION**

**THAT'S GRIPPING THE NATION!**

Bryt clamped her hands over her mouth, fighting not to laugh. Mike and Drew were both laughing hard while Mrs. Weasley, Hermione, and Julio all looked taken aback.

"They'll be murdered in their beds!" Mrs. Weasley said quietly.

"No they won't!" Ron said, laughing himself, "This is brilliant!"

With that, Ron started for the shop, the others following close behind. As they got closer and Julio could see through the window just how crowded the place was, he stopped and frowned. Julio was claustrophobic—small, crowded places were just the areas he usually avoided.

"I think I'll wait out here with Hagrid," he said. Bryt nodded, completely understanding. Besides, Julio wasn't the type for joke shops to begin with.

The store was almost packed to bursting with customers, much more than any other shop had. Walls were packed with products ranging from different sets of quills—Spell-Checking, Smart-Answer, and Self-Inking, the latter of which Bryt made a mental note to buy some of for her journal—to Fred and George's Skiving Snackboxes. Displays stood throughout the store, holding various other joke items that Fred and George had perfected over the years.

Drew's face suddenly went a brilliant shade of red and he dove behind a display of Extendable Ears. Bryt was confused until she caught sight of a cute girl about her brothers' age nearby with dirty blonde hair pulled into a ponytail, standing near the display of Pigmy Puffs. She still had her hand raised where she had apparently been waving and she had a confused look on her freckled face. It didn't take long for Bryt to realize what was going on and she sighed, not sure what to think about it. She had to remind herself yet again that her brothers were growing up, that she'd have to get used to things like this, but at the same time, it still felt so strange.

Bryt sighed, turning from her brothers and made her way through the crowd to where Hermione say near a display that held a sign reading 'Patented Daydream Charms' in overly loopy, fancy script that Bryt had seen on the covers of the cheesy romance novels that Lavender and Parvati read.

Hermione picked up one of the boxes showing a moving picture of a handsome man and beautiful woman on a pirate ship, then turned the box over to read the back.

"'One simple incantation and you will enter a top-quality, highly realistic, thirty-minute daydream, easy to fit into the average school lesson and virtually undetectable (side effects involve vacant expression and minor drooling). Not for sale to under-sixteens.' You know..." Hermione looked up as Bryt picked up a box herself, "That really is extraordinary magic!"

"For that, Hermione, you can have one for free."

Bryt, Hermione, and Harry—who had come over just seconds before—all looked up to see Fred had come over and Bryt tried not to laugh. For some insane reason, Fred was wearing magenta robes that clashed horribly with his hair—oddly, Bryt was reminded of the year before when Sofí had demonstrated a prank she pulled on a classmate by turning Fred and George's robes pink when they were supposed to be cleaning Grimmauld Place.

"Come on, Harry, I'll give you a tour," Fred said, taking Harry by the arm and leading him off. Bryt, not all that interested in the daydream charms, turned and made her way through the crowd until she found Ron by the reusable hangmans.

Bryt and Ron spent the next couple of minutes picking out different joke items they wanted and Bryt decided to go ahead and pay for hers while Ron made his way over towards where Fred and Harry had come back, now talking with Hermione and Ginny again.

As Bryt was paying for her things, she glanced around for any sign of her brothers. She noticed Drew talking with Emily in one corner, but Drew kept looking across the room to where the freckle-faced girl now had a pink pygmy puff sitting on her head and was talking to a man that was most likely her father. Mike, however, had somehow gotten himself into a middle of a group of giggling girls his age and Bryt had a feeling she didn't want to know what they were talking about. Bryt made a mental note to keep a close eye on Mike once they were back at Hogwarts.

Bryt made it back to her friends just in time to see Ron drop what he was holding and make a very rude gesture to Fred as he cursed loudly.

"If I see you do that again I'll jinx your fingers together," Mrs. Weasley snapped at Ron, then was distracted by Ginny, who was asking about getting a pygmy puff.

Bryt was just about to ask Ron what was wrong when Harry nudged them and motioned to the window. Bryt turned just in time to see Malfoy disappearing from sight of the window's view and he was definitely trying to avoid being seen.

"Wonder where his mummy is?" Harry asked.

"Given her the slip by the looks of it," Ron replied.

"Definitely up to something," Bryt said, "No way Mrs. Malfoy would let that bastard out of her sight willingly."

Harry glanced around, then pulled out his Invisibility Cloak from his bag.

"Get under here, quick," he said.

Bryt stared, then looked around—Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were still at the pygmy puffs, Mr. Weasley was checking out Muggle magic tricks, Fred and George were busy with customers, and Emily had pulled Mike away from the group of girls and was waiting in line with him and Drew to pay for their things. Sure that Emily was going to keep an eye on her brothers, Bryt ducked under the cloak with her friends. It was a tight fit for them—they had all grown over the past few years, even Bryt, though she still didn't even reach five feet in height. They had trouble making it through the door, but finally made it out and managed to sneak past Hagrid and Julio, who were talking about Quidditch outside of the shop.

They made their way as quickly as they could cramped together under the cloak, trying to catch any sight of Malfoy.

"That's him, isn't it?" Hermione asked suddenly, pointing ahead of them, "Turning left?"

"Knockturn Alley," Bryt whispered bitterly, not surprised at all.

"Quick, or we'll lose him," Harry whispered, speeding up and Bryt tripped over her feet trying to keep up and also stay under the cloak.

"Our feet'll be seen!" Hermione whispered.

"It doesn't matter, just hurry!"

It seemed they didn't need to hurry, however, since Knockturn Alley was deserted, even more than Diagon Alley was. It seemed no one wanted to be associated with Dark artifacts during times like these, and rightfully so.

"Look! He's in there!" Hermione whispered suddenly, pointing to a nearby shop. Bryt squinted to see through the window into a shop full of sinister-looking objects where Malfoy seemed to be arguing with the shop keeper, who looked like he didn't want Malfoy there but couldn't tell him to leave.

"If we could only hear what they were saying!" Hermione whispered.

"We can!" Ron said, "Hang on..."

Ron reached into his pocket and quickly pulled out a box of Extendable Ears.

"Brilliant!" Bryt whispered with a grin, a complement Ron seemed to enjoy as he took one of the Extendable Ears and began feeding it under the door. After a second, his face lit up and he held out the end in his hand.

Everyone grouped their heads together and could quickly hear Malfoy as clearly as if they were standing right next to him.

"...you know how to fix it?" he was asking.

"Possibly," the shopkeeper replied, though he sounded very unwilling, "I'll need to see it, though. Why don't you bring it into the shop?"

"I can't. It's got to stay put. I just need you to tell me how to do it."

"Well, without seeing it, I must say it will be a very difficult job, perhaps impossible. I couldn't guarantee anything."

"No?" Malfoy asked, annoyed and Bryt could instantly picture that sneer on his face that always made her want to punch him, "Perhaps this will make you more confident."

Malfoy stepped closer to the shopkeeper and became hidden from view by a large cabinet. Bryt and the others tried to move to see what Malfoy was doing, but all they could see was the shopkeeper suddenly looking frightened. Bryt couldn't help but wonder what would make a person who specialized in selling Dark objects suddenly look actually afraid of a teenager.

"Tell anyone and there will be retribution," Malfoy said sharply, "You know Fenrir Greyback? He's a family friend. He'll be dropping in from time to time to make sure you're giving the problem your full attention."

Bryt could have sworn she had heard the name Fenrir Greyback before, but she couldn't remember where. She frowned, but didn't say anything to the others, determined to focus on listening in on Malfoy's conversation.

"There will be no need for—"

"I'll decide that," Malfoy cut in, "Well, I'd better be off. And don't forget to keep _that_ one safe, I'll need it."

"Perhaps you'd like to take it now?"

"No, of course I wouldn't you stupid little man, how would I look carrying that down the street? Just don't sell it."

"Of course not...sir," the shopkeeper said, bowing deeply to Malfoy.

"Not a word to anyone, Borgin, and that includes my mother, understand?"

"Naturally, naturally."

Malfoy started out of the shop and Ron hurried to pull in the Extendable Ear. Bryt, Ron, Hermione, and Harry held their breaths as Malfoy passed within inches of them, then headed on down the street.

"What was that about?" Ron asked once they were sure they were safely out of earshot of anyone.

"Dunno," Harry said, "He wants something mended...and he wants to reserve something in there...Could you see what he pointed at when he said 'that one'?"

"I couldn't even see _him_," Bryt said, "That cabinet was in the way."

"You three stay here," Hermione said suddenly.

Before anyone could respond, Hermione had ducked out from under the cloak and straightened herself up, brushed her hair from her face, and marched right into the store. Ron immediately started feeding the Extendable Ear back under the door again.

"Hello, horrible morning, isn't it?" Hermione asked Borgin cheerfully before she started looking around, humming in an equally cheerful tone. Bryt groaned, slapping her hand over her face. This wasn't going to go well.

Hermione had reached the display hidden by the cabinet and the others couldn't see her anymore.

"Is this necklace for sale?" Hermione asked.

"If you've got one and a half thousand Galleons."

Bryt choked. Someone had to be desperate for whatever necklace that was to spend money like that.

"Oh—er—no, I haven't got quite that much," Hermione said, obviously just as flabbergasted by the price and Bryt could hear her walking on, "And...what about this lovely—um—skull?"

"Sixteen Galleons."

"So it's for sale, then? It isn't being...kept for anyone?"

Bryt groaned again. How could the girl who so easily fooled Umbridge into believing she was about to betray her friends—and almost convinced her own friends she was going to—be so horrible at acting now?

"The thing is," Hermione said, her tone giving away that she knew exactly how badly she was failing, "That—er—boy who was in here just now, Draco Malfoy, well, he's a friend of mine—"

Again, Bryt choked.

"—and I want to get him a birthday present, but if he's already reserved anything, I obviously don't want to get him the same thing, so...um..."

"Out," Borgin demanded, pointing to the door, "Get out!"

Hermione rushed out of the door as quickly as she could, Borgin right behind and immediately closing the shop the second Hermione was on the street. Once Borgin's back was turned, Hermione ducked under the cloak again.

"Never lie again, Hermione," Bryt said, "You're just horrible at it."

"Well, next time you can try it!" Hermione hissed, but the subject was dropped at that.

Once back in the shop, they slipped back out from under the cloak near the back door before rejoining the crowds, insisting to Mrs. Weasley and Emily both that they had been in the back room for the past several minutes. Mrs. Weasley then insisted that it was time to leave and they all headed for the door, though Bryt's mind kept going back to what it could be that Malfoy was up to.


	7. The End of Summer

Bryt and Hermione chose not to talk about what Malfoy had been up to in Diagon Alley, mostly because of how small the Watkins home was and they were sure to be overheard or at least be suspected of being up to something if they tried to talk quietly. Instead, Hermione and Bryt spent most of their time over the next few weeks getting visits from Sofí, Julio, and Emily when they were off work, explaining to Mike and Drew what they could expect from their new classes, or in Bryt's room where Hermione read text books and Bryt experimented with the best way to make the potions in her new book—something Bryt had always done, and Hermione had always disapproved of. "The instructions are there for a reason," she'd always say. After so many years, however, she had resided to trying to ignore Bryt's work the best she could, though she would occasionally give disapproving huffs from her corner of the room.

The last day of holidays brought one of the rare moments where Sofí and Julio were off work at the same time—as Sofí worked often, trying to get training in robe making and Julio worked long hours due to both training and an increase of patients due to cursed objects and attacks from Death Eaters. Bryt and Hermione could always tell by the look on Julio's face if he had a bad week at work, but they both knew better than to ask about it. Luckily, today seemed to be one of the rare good ones where he was still in a good mood on his day off.

"Yeh'll haveta lemme know when yer first Hogsmeade visit is," Julio said from where he was sitting at Bryt's desk, watching as Bryt and Hermione gathered their things to pack their trunks, "I wanna make sure I can get the day off."

"Oh, that'd be wonderful!" Hermione said excitedly, "I'd love to show you around—"

"And y'two can have yer first real date in years."

Both Hermione and Julio went red-faced as they glared at Sofí, who just grinned back from where she was sitting on the floor next to Bryt's trunk—an odd choice of seating, as there was plenty of room on Bryt's bed or on her desk, where Sofí usually liked to sit. Bryt rolled her eyes, grabbing an armful of her clothes to put down in her trunk.

"Hey Brychelle," Sofí said, and Bryt turned to look at her, not really needing to see her trunk to drop clothes into it, "Don' forget t'lemme know when the first Hogsmeade trip is."

Bryt rolled her eyes as Sofí just gave her trademark innocent grin. Sofí was often the most annoying woman alive, but she was still her friend, practically a sister. Bryt had quite literally grown up with Sofí. As much as Sofí annoyed Bryt, she couldn't imagine her life without the woman.

"You're a pain, Sofí," Bryt said, turning back to her packing.

"Yep," was Sofí's reply.

"Are you two going to see us off tomorrow?" Hermione asked from where she was carefully organizing her own trunk—must different than Bryt just dropping things into hers without looking.

"Yeah, I have the mornin' off," Julio said, but Sofí shook her head.

"Madam Malkin has a few big orders t'fill and needs my help," she said, sighing.

"Like yer not enjoyin' yer work," Julio said, rolling his eyes.

Sofí just grinned back and Bryt was a bit surprised. She had thought Sofí took the job simply because she needed one—if Sofí was going to get a job she loved, Bryt expected it to be working for Fred and George. Sofí didn't seem the type to be a clothes maker. She'd never said anything about it. The only times clothes came up was Sofí taking over Bryt's shopping for dress robes two years before, and insisting she need dress robes more recently.

Bryt shook off the thoughts, grabbing her broom that had somehow managed to get under her bed. She carefully checked the broom to make sure nothing was damaged before she put it in her trunk much more cautiously than she had her clothes or books. Bryt took the same caution with her cauldron, then after doing a check around her room to make sure she hadn't missed anything, she shut up her trunk.

"Careful, Brychelle, people're gonna think you only care 'bout potions and flyin'."

Bryt glared at Sofí, then sat down on her bed and watched as Hermione continued to slowly organize everything before putting them into her own trunk. The four continued to talk until Mrs. Watkins insisted the Garcías left so Bryt and Hermione could get to sleep. The García siblings gave their goodbyes, with Julio saying he'd see them in the morning, then Bryt and Hermione got ready for bed, Bryt both looking forward to and dreading getting back to Hogwarts.

On the one hand, she would be spending more time around Harry and Ron again. She'd be back in her classes, getting to see Hagrid on a regular basis, get to talk with her other friends—such as Terry and Hannah, even Parvati and Lavender—more regularly. On the other hand, she was going to be away from home. She wasn't going to be able to talk to her parents whenever she wanted, to know for sure they were safe. She'd just have letters to rely on, updates that Emily was still keeping the Watkins home protected, and that Julio and Sofí were still okay—though Bryt'd be able to get updates on them any time she wanted thanks to Hermione and Julio's two-way journal they had been using to talk for some time.

Bryt woke up and was dressed early the next morning and checked her mini backpack to make sure her diary, camera, wand, and money were all still there. Breakfast was quiet that morning and Emily and Julio both arrived early enough to help load everything into the van. Mr. Watkins was off that day, so he was coming with them to platform nine and three-quarters.

It didn't take long to get the King's Cross, and even less time to make sure the coast was clear before going through the barrier. Bryt checked on Joey in his cage before looking behind her and seeing her parents come through the barrier with Mike and Drew. It suddenly dawned on Bryt that this was the first time she'd seen her parents on the platform. During her first two years, they had dropped Bryt off outside the station and she had insisted on going in alone. The past three years, Bryt had been with the Weasleys when she got on the Hogwarts Express. This was also the first year she'd come to the platform with her brothers. Bryt frowned, again thinking about all she'd missed out on because of summers away from home. At least she was finally home this past summer and planned to be home for Christmas.

"Take care of yourselves," Mrs. Watkins said, hugging her children, then giving Hermione a hug before Hermione turned to give her goodbyes to Julio—it was another odd thing to see Julio here as well.

"We will," Bryt told her mother, "And I'll keep an eye on Mike and Drew. Promise."

Mrs. Watkins grinned, it obvious on her face that she really was about to ask Bryt to do just that.

"Do well in your classes this year, okay?" she asked.

"I plan to," Bryt said, "I need the good grades to get into MCRS."

Mrs. Watkins grinned and hugged Bryt again before turning to give her goodbyes to Julio and Mr. Watkins, then finally turning to Emily, hugging the woman who'd become something like a 'cool aunt' for her over the past summer.

"You and your friends better stay out of trouble this year," Emily said, "I don't want to find out about any sneaking out of the dorms at night, or running off to the ministry to get into fights—"

"Emily, we'll be fine," Bryt cut in, "I swear to you, I'm not going to go sneaking around or getting myself into trouble. I won't break curfew and the only time I'll leave Hogwarts grounds is for holiday and on Hogsmeade trips."

"Good," Emily said with a short nod, "I will know otherwise, trust me."

Bryt gave Emily a confused look but before she could ask about anything, Mrs. Watkins called over to her again, saying she should get on the train. Bryt turned away, following Hermione and her brothers, dropping her trunk where it wouldn't be in the way before turning and leaning out the window.

"I'll see you at Christmas," she told her parents, "I promise."

"Be good," Mr. Watkins said, "Take care of your brothers."

"Will do," Bryt said as the train gave a sudden jolt and a loud whistle blew—they were about to start moving, "I'll write as often as I can."

"I'll see you at Hogsmeade!" Julio called, waving as the train began moving. Hermione leaned almost dangerously far out the window to wave back. Once train had went around the turn, Bryt turned around to notice Mike and Drew had both already wandered off to find friends—though Mike hadn't gone far. He was halfway down the hallway with his friend, Natalie McDonald—who Bryt had noticed was finally completely forgoing her pigtails for keeping her strawberry-blonde hair in a bun with loose strands around her face, though she was also wearing like a headband some weird pair of what looked like the cheap, paper-made red-and-blue 3D glasses, only these had lenses that were shifting randomly with bright colors. The two were talking with a red-haired girl in their year that Bryt thought was named Emma. The young girl had her hands currently clamped together behind her back and was grinning nervously, her face a bright pink and looking as if she couldn't quite believe Mike was standing in front of her. Bryt sighed and shook her head. First the girls at Fred and George's shop, now Emma. Bryt was going to have to have a long talk with Mike to make sure he didn't get himself into trouble with girls.

Bryt and Hermione found a compartment to claim before Hermione rushed off for her Prefect duties and Bryt turned to find her brother, just to see he, Natalie, and Emma were gone. Bryt sighed, deciding to talk to Mike later, then turned to try and find Harry—as Ron would be dealing with Prefect duties himself. It didn't take long before she found Harry with Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood—two people Bryt was fond of, and the two who had accompanied them during the fight at the Department of Mysteries, even though they did not know Sirius and had no reason to. That had given them a respect with Bryt that wasn't going to break.

"Hi, Neville, Luna, Harry," Bryt greeted, "I have a compartment saved just back here."

The four made it back to Bryt's compartment, Bryt ignoring the increasing number of stares they were getting, then slipped inside.

"They're even staring at _us_!" Neville said in awe, staring at the now-closed door as they all sat down, "Because we're with you!"

"They're staring at you because you were at the Ministry too," Harry pointed out, "ur little adventure there was all over the _Daily Prophet_, you must've seen it."

"Yes, I thought Gran would be angry about all the publicity," Neville said, "But she was really pleased. Says I'm starting to live up to my dad at long last—"

"You've always been good, Neville," Bryt cut in, wanting badly to say that his grandmother was an idiot to have not notice it sooner, that it took him risking his life against Death Eaters before she gave him any praise, but she had a feeling Neville wouldn't like it if Bryt insulted his grandmother. Bryt kept silent on that part, even though she didn't like the woman from the brief meeting with her at St. Mungo's and all she heard from Neville.

Neville looked embarrassed about the praise, but grinned at Bryt, then held out a new wand—his old one, that had belonged to his father before, had been broken at the Ministry.

"She did buy me a new wand," he said, "Cherry and unicorn hair, we think it was one of the last Ollivander ever sold, he vanished the next day—Oi, come back there, Trevor!"

Before anyone could say anything, Neville was on his knees, sticking his head under the compartment seats to try and find his toad that often was escaping.

"Are we still doing DA meetings this year, Harry?" Luna asked, not looking up from her task of carefully pulling from her copy of _The Quibbler_ the same type of multicolored 3D glasses she'd seen Natalie wearing earlier.

"No point now we've got rid of Umbridge, is there?" Harry asked.

Neville stuck his head out from under the seats, giving Harry a disappointed look.

"I liked the DA! I learned loads with you!"

"I enjoyed the meetings too," Luna said, "It was like having friends."

"We _are_ your friends," Bryt pointed out, well aware of the fact that Luna was an outcast at school, a girl who'd gained the nickname "Loony Lovegood", though the fact had never seemed to bother her, another trait Bryt admired in Luna. She didn't care what others thought about her. She was aware of how people felt, but still did her own thing.

"Oh, well, that's nice," Luna said matter-of-factly, though she grinned.

There was a noise outside the compartment door and Bryt looked up to see a group of fourth years grouped there, seeming to be arguing over something, despite the fact they were all grinning and giggling at the same time. Finally, one of the girls—a tall one, with black hair and large, dark eyes—broke away from the others and came into the compartment with her head held high.

"Hi, Harry," she said in a loud voice, "I'm Romilda, Romilda Vane. Why don't you join us in our compartment? You don't have to sit with _them_."

Romilda cast a look towards Neville, who was still searching for Trevor under the seats, and Luna, who looked even stranger than usual with her multicolored magazine glasses. Finally, Romilda looked towards Bryt, who ignored her by feeding some owl treats to Joey and Harry's owl, Hedwig.

"They're friends of mine," Harry said, his tone giving way that the conversation was over. Bryt grinned to herself as Romilda left, a surprised look on her face.

"People expect you to have cooler friends than us," Luna said simply.

"You are cool," Harry replied, "None of them was at the Ministry. They didn't fight with me."

"That's a very nice thing to say," Luna said, looking very pleased as she disappeared behind her copy of _The Quibbler_. Bryt grinned at her. It was clear that Luna very rarely got praise from others, and probably even rarer—if ever—if she'd been told she had friends before, yet when the times came, she didn't gush over it or doubt it. She just accepted it and moved on, looking happier than before. Luna was definitely one of the most unique people Bryt had ever met.

"We didn't face _him_, though," Neville said as he came out from under the seats, Trevor gripped firmly in his hands, "You did. You should hear my gran talk about you. _'That Harry Potter's got more backbone than the whole Ministry of Magic put together!'_ She'd give anything to have you as a grandson..."

Bryt, again, bit her tongue to keep from lashing out against Neville's grandmother. Did she care about anything but fame and standing up against Death Eaters? What was it going to take for her to realize what an amazing grandson she already had?

Luckily, Bryt was distracted from her train of thoughts as the topic turned to OWL scores. When Neville asked if anyone thought he would be able to continue with NEWT Transfiguration with only an Acceptable, Bryt grinned at him.

"Better chance than me," she said, "I got Poor."

Neville looked surprised that he had done better than someone else in a class that wasn't Herbology, but when it became clear that Bryt wasn't bothered by it, he looked pleased as well.

Bryt and Neville kept chatting about their upcoming classes, what they could expect from them, and how they thought they'd do. It was nearly five minutes later when they finally realized that Harry had been strangely quiet, a far-off look on his face.

"You all right, Harry?" Neville asked, "You look funny."

Harry jerked slightly, blinking at Neville.

"Sorry, I—"

"Wrackspurt got you?" Luna asked, as if she were talking to someone with a cold."

"What?" Harry asked, confused.

"A Wrackspurt. They're invisible. They float in through your ears and make your brain go fuzzy. I thought I felt one zooming around here."

Luna started waving her arms wildly above her head. Bryt, Neville, and Harry glanced to each other, all trying to hide grins before they started talking about Quidditch.

About half an hour later, Hermione and Ron finally arrived, done with Prefect duties. Ron immediately flopped down next to Bryt while Hermione sat next to Neville, letting Crookshanks jump into her lap.

"Wish the lunch trolley would hurry up, I'm starving," Ron said with a groan.

"When are you not?" Bryt asked with a smirk.

"Oi, you're one to talk! You eat more than me sometimes!"

"Yeah, but I don't complain about being hungry all the time," Bryt laughed, nudging Ron slightly. Ron just rolled his eyes.

"Oh, guess what?" he asked, obviously deciding to change the subject, "Malfoy's not doing prefect duty. He's just sitting in his compartment with the other Slytherins, we saw him when we passed."

Harry suddenly sat up straight, looking far too interested. Bryt thought it was weird that Malfoy wasn't flaunting his authority as a prefect, but she didn't think it was that big of a deal. Malfoy was the type who would flaunt authority when he felt like it, and would ignore his duty if he didn't think he could be bothered.

"What did he do when he saw you?" Harry asked.

"The usual," Ron said, making a crude hand gesture, "Not like him though, is it? Well, that is—" he did the gesture again and Bryt rolled her eyes, "—but why isn't he out there bullying first years?"

"Probably because he thinks his duties are beneath him," Bryt said, "He'll probably be back to bullying people tomorrow or something."

"Or maybe he preferred the Inquisitorial Squad," Hermione pointed out, "Maybe being a prefect seems a bit tame after that."

"I don't think so," Harry said, "I think he's—"

The compartment door opened again, cutting Harry off. Bryt noticed the freckle-faced girl from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes had come in, looking extremely nervous.

"I'm supposed to deliver these to Neville Longbottom and Harry Potter," she said quickly and quietly, barely above a whisper. She thrust her hands out, each holding a small roll of parchment tied with a purple ribbon. Harry and Neville took them and the girl practically tripped over herself in her hurry to get out of the compartment again. Bryt stared after her, wondering what was wrong. Did the girl think they would attack her or something?

"What is it?" Ron asked, trying to look over Harry's shoulder as he unrolled the parchment.

"An invitation," Harry replied, holding it out. Bryt leaned over Ron to read:

_Harry,_

_ I would be delighted if you would join me for a bite of lunch in compartment C._

_ Sincerely,_

_ Professor H. E. F. Slughorn_

"Who's Professor Slughorn?" Neville asked, looking as if he thought his invitation might have been a mistake and kept rereading it.

"New teacher," Harry answered, "Well, I suppose we'll have to go, won't we?"

"But what does he want me for?" Neville asked, suddenly nervous. He seemed to finally accept his invitation was real, and was now expecting the worst from it.

"No idea," Harry said as he stood up, "Listen, let's go under the Invisibility Cloak, then we might get a good look at Malfoy on the way, see what he's up to."

Neville and Harry disappeared under the cloak before heading out the door, and Bryt and Hermione both looked to Ron—Luna seemed not to care, still wrapped up in her magazine.

"What's that about?" Bryt asked, "Why does Harry care so much about why Malfoy's ignoring prefect duties?"

"I'll explain later," Ron said with a look towards Luna.

Bryt sighed and sunk back in her seat, letting the subject get changed to Quidditch again, though this time on Bryt and Ron's chances of making the team this year. Neither were expecting preferential treatment from Harry—as he was the Gryffindor captain this year—so both were worried about if they would be able to make the team. Bryt just hoped they would. Ron often got moody when things didn't go his way, and Bryt had enough of dealing with the swings the year before. She didn't like not knowing what to say to get Ron in a good mood again. She would just have to hope she wouldn't have to face that much as the months went on.


	8. Back to Hogwarts

Not long after the lunch trolley went through, the freckled-faced third year returned, this time with a friend—a black girl with short hair—and both were already wearing their school robes, making it obvious for Bryt to see they were both Hufflepuffs. The freckle-faced girl also had her pigmy puff sitting on top of her head again. The freckled-faced girl still looked nervous, as if she were expecting an attack, and her friend only looked very slightly braver. Both were staying very close together, not even entering the compartment, just standing in the open doorway.

"Does Professor Slughorn want something else?" Bryt asked when neither girl had spoken. Ron was giving them weird looks, Hermione looked concerned, and Bryt wondered if Luna had even realized the door had opened.

"Oh, n-no," the freckled-faced girl said, her voice just as quiet as it had been before.

"Nell wanted to ask you something," the short-haired girl blurted quickly, as if she wanted to get it out before she lost her nerve. Her friend flushed brightly.

"Nell, is it?" Bryt grinned, leaning forward, "It's nice to meet you."

The girl nodded slowly.

"Yeah, Nell," she said quietly—Bryt wondered if it was just her natural voice, "Eleanor Branstone...You're Bryt Watkins, right? Drew's sister? I'm in his year."

"Yeah, Drew's one of my brothers," Bryt said, frowning, "Is something wrong? He okay?"

Nell blushed more.

"He's fine," the short-haired girl said, looking nervous herself, "We were wondering if...well..."

"It was Laura's idea, I didn't want to do this," Nell muttered.

"You were the one who kept asking about him," Laura shot back.

"But I didn't mean to go bothering his sister!"

"Girls!" Bryt said and both jumped and looked at her, Bryt sighed and spoke more gently, "Can you two settle down and just ask what you came for?"

Nell just went red and stared at the floor. Laura tugged at the end of her sleeves, looking anywhere but at the people in the carriage.

"Nell wants to know if you know what compartment Drew's in," Laura finally said in a rush, her gaze currently on the ceiling.

It took all of Bryt's effort not to start laughing, and she failed at hiding her grin. She wasn't sure what to think about her brothers and dating, but she had to admit, Nell was a cute girl and seemed just as shy—if not, shier—than Drew was.

"I don't know, sorry," Bryt said, "He went to go stay with his friends after we got on the train."

"Oh," both girls said, Nell looking disappointed.

"Sorry to bother you," Nell continued, "We'll just go."

Before anyone could reply, both girls had hurried out of the compartment.

"Now that was just pathetic."

Bryt turned and glared at Ron, hitting him over the head.

"I thought it was adorable," Hermione said with a grin, "Drew has an admirer."

"They both seemed quite nice," Luna said, not looking up from her magazine, "But I think the Wrackspurts have gotten to both of them."

Ron and Hermione both looked confused, but knew better to ask. Bryt leaned back in her seat, looking out the window again. It had been obvious that Mike was gathering many female admirers already—with the girls at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, then Emma here on the train—and Bryt wasn't sure what to think about that. She still knew she was going to have to talk to Mike and make sure he didn't get himself into trouble. But Drew was confusing in a completely different way. At Fred and George's shop, Bryt had just thought Nell was a girl from school Drew knew from school, but now it seemed she had a crush on Drew. And if Drew's reaction to seeing Nell at the shop was anything to go buy, the feeling might be mutual. Bryt had no idea what she thought about it. On one hand, with first impressions, she liked Nell. She approved of her and thought she and Drew would be a nice couple. On the other, Drew was her younger brother. The boy who sat on the steps in the Grand Staircase on his first day of school, nervously playing with his glasses and worried Bryt would be angry he was in Hufflepuff. He and Mike were both the boys she taught to ride bicycles. The ones she shared candy with on Halloween, helping them with homework. The idea that they were thirteen now, would be dating...It was strange. No matter how much Bryt thought about it, she wasn't sure she would completely get used to it.

Bryt frowned, telling herself she would have to get used to it fast. She doubted Drew would brave up to anything—after all, he hid just because a girl waved at him—but Bryt would be very surprised if Mike didn't have a girlfriend by the end of the month, and had half of the girls in his year as admirers.

"Bryt?"

Bryt jumped, turning to see Ron and Hermione staring at her, and that Neville had come back without her realizing. Also without realizing, Bryt had slipped off her lucky bracelet and had been playing with it between her hands, something she always did when nervous or lost in thought.

"Sorry," Bryt said, grinning as she pulled her bracelet back on, "Just thinking. Where's Harry?"

"He said he had to do something," Neville said, starting to get his robes out of his trunk—Bryt blinked in surprise to see that it was already dark out. They'd be at Hogwarts soon, "He'll meet us on the platform."

Bryt nodded as she and the others got their robes out and pulled them on as well. Hermione struggled to get Crookshanks back into his carrier while Bryt and Ron checked on the owls.

By the time they reached the carriages, Harry still hadn't shown up. Bryt, Ron, and Hermione all lingered, watching anxiously for Harry to arrive. By the time that the last carriage was about to leave, Hermione suggested that Harry might have already be at the castle. Bryt could only hope she was right as they got in the carriage.

Bryt had heard from Emily that there was going to be tight security at Hogwarts this year, but she didn't really think about just how tight that security would be until they reached the castle doors. A line had been formed leading out of the castle, and when Bryt, Ron, and Hermione finally got to the door, they knew why. Filch was there, using some item he called a Dark object detector and checking everyone.

Bryt became increasingly annoyed when Filch insisted on going through her bag, then became embarrassed when he pulled out Bryt's journal and opened it.

"Hey, that's private!" Bryt snapped, snatching the book from Filch and hugging it close to her, trying to ignore the warm feeling rushing to her face.

"Rules are rules," Filch said, holding out his hand, "No exceptions."

"Well, I can assure y'there's no Dark magic in this," Bryt snapped, hugging the book tighter. The last thing she wanted was for Filch going through something so personal and private for her.

"Is there a problem?"

Bryt looked up to see McGonagall, the Transfiguration teacher, assistant headmistress, and Gryffindor Head of House, had stepped out of the side room where she had been waiting for first years to arrive by the boats across the lake.

"A student won't hand over her items for inspection," Filch replied and Bryt felt her face going even warmer.

"It's my journal, I don' want him going through that," Bryt said, fighting to keep the irritation out of her voice.

McGonagall gave Bryt a long, hard stare and Bryt fidgeted, feeling very sure that she was about to be told to hand over the book. Instead, McGonagall turned to Filch.

"If your Secrecy Sensor didn't detect anything, Argus," McGonagall finally said, "I do not believe an ordinary journal is any danger to this school." McGonagall turned to Bryt, "Miss Watkins, Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, you may head on into the Great Hall."

All three nodded and hurried to the room, Bryt still clutching her journal close to her chest until they had sat down at the Gryffindor table, where Bryt returned the book to her bag.

"You keep a journal?" Ron asked, smirking at Bryt and looking as if he just discovered Christmas had come early. Bryt's only response was a glare that caused the smile to disappear from Ron's face instantly and he stared down at the table instead.

Bryt had a feeling his silence wouldn't last, however. Bryt kept her journal a secret from Harry and Ron a secret for the past five years specifically to keep them from teasing—or worse, trying to get ahold of her journal to read it. She fully expected to get backlash from this within the next few days, but tonight, she didn't want to deal with it.

"I still don't see Harry," Bryt said, taking the subject away from her as she looked up and down the Gryffindor table—noting that Mike had gotten himself in with a group of girls again, Natalie and Emma included, though there was also another boy in their group as well.

"You don't think he got into trouble, do you?" Hermione asked, looking worried.

"I hope not," Bryt replied, "I bet he'll show up soon."

Though Harry didn't show all through the Sorting of first years, nor through most of dinner. As Bryt ate, she kept looking towards the door, each time feeling more and more nervous when Harry hadn't arrived. Hagrid arrived late at one point, but Bryt didn't think much on it, still watching for Harry.

When Harry finally did show up, Bryt was both relieved and confused. Relieved to see he was fine, confused by the fact that he wasn't wearing his school robes. What had happened? Bryt's confusion turned to worry when Harry sat down next to Hermione and Bryt noticed his face was covered in blood.

"What happened to you?" Bryt asked, staring horrified as Ron just stared with his mouth hanging open.

"You're covered in blood!" Hermione breathed, pulling out her wand, "_Tergeo!_"

Harry reached up, touching his face that was now free of blood.

"Thanks," Harry said, "How's my nose looking?"

"What?" Bryt asked, wondering why that, of all things, was what Harry was worried about, "Harry, what happened?"

"I'll tell you later," Harry said, glancing nearby to Ginny, Neville, Dean, and Seamus, who all seemed to be trying to listen in.

Bryt wanted to ask more, but she could tell from the look on Harry's face that this was something better left to private. Bryt sighed, just as the feat disappeared and dessert came up in its place.

"You missed the Sorting, anyway," Hermione said, going for the change of subject as Bryt and Ron both started in on some chocolate gateau.

"Hat say anything interesting?" Harry asked.

"More the same, really...advising us all to unite in the face of our enemies, you know."

"Dumbledore mention Voldemort at all?"

"He probably will during his start of term speech," Bryt said, feeling a lot hungrier than she usually did during dessert—probably because she didn't eat much with her worry for Harry.

"Snape said Hagrid was late for the feast—"

"You've seen Snape?" Ron cut in, staring at Harry, "How come?"

"Bumped into him."

Bryt stared at Harry, having a feeling there was more to it. She just hoped it had nothing to do with Harry arriving covered in blood. Though even Harry would know better than to fight a teacher. Something like that would have him expelled for sure. Especially with Snape.

"Hagrid was only a few minutes late," Hermione said, "Look, he's waving at you, Harry."

Bryt looked up with Harry to see Hagrid was waving their way. Bryt waved back herself, unable to keep herself from thinking about what creatures he'd bring for NEWT level classes. Truthfully, even with the dangers of Hagrid's classes, she enjoyed them. She couldn't wait to see what was coming next.

"By the way," Bryt turned to Harry again, "What did Professor Slughorn want?"

"To know what really happened at the Ministry," Harry answered.

"Him and everyone else here," Hermione said, "People were interrogating us about it on the train, weren't they, Ron?"

"I don't remember that," Bryt said, confused.

"You were too busy staring off out the window," Ron said, "You still haven't said what had you so preoccupied."

"It's nothing," Bryt said with a grin, "Well, not anything that big of a deal. Just thinking about—"

Bryt didn't get to finish because the Great Hall suddenly grew quiet. Bryt looked up to see Dumbledore had gotten to his feet, greeting everyone with his arms opened wide. Bryt gasped and clamped her hands over her mouth, staring at Dumbledore's right hand. Even from where Bryt was sitting, she could see the skeletal, black look of the headmaster's hand, resembling how a thestral's skin looked.

"What happened to his hand?" Hermione asked, sounding horrified. Whispers echoed throughout the room, though that wasn't surprising. Bryt doubted anyone would have missed that hand's appearance.

"Nothing to worry about," Dumbledore said with a smile, "Now...to our new students, welcome, to our old students, welcome back! Another year full of magical education awaits you..."

"His hand was like that when I saw him over the summer," Harry leaned forward, whispering, "I thought he'd have cured it by now, though...Or Madam Pomfrey would've done."

"It looks as if it's died," Hermione whispered, looking sick, "But there are some injuries you can't cure...old curses...and there are potions without antidotes..."

"I've never heard of a potion that does _that_, though," Bryt said, nodding to the headmaster.

"...and Mr. Filch, our caretaker," Dumbledore went on, "Has asked me to say that there is a blanket ban on any joke items bought at the shop called Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes."

"Like anyone'll pay attention to that," Bryt said.

"Those wishing to play for their House Quidditch teams should give their names to their Heads of House as usual. We are also looking for new Quidditch commentators, who should do likewise."

Bryt notice Mike straighten up at that, looking at Dumbledore with interest. Mike always loved getting a story and sharing it with everyone possible, giving everyone the facts when it counted—and stretching the truth with non-serious matters—the thought of commentating the Quidditch matches must seem like a dream to him. Bryt found herself thinking back to Mike's first year when Hermione told Bryt she should be glad Mike wasn't a reporter. Though Bryt now couldn't help but think with Mike's outgoing nature and knack for getting information from nearly anyone, the boy probably would make a damn good one.

"We are pleased to welcome a new member of staff this year. Professor Slughorn," Dumbledore went on, motioning to a large, bald, walrus-looking man who stood up at his name, "Is a former colleague of mine who has agreed to resume his old post of Potions master."

Bryt choked and spun around to Harry as shocked whispers went through the hall.

"Potions?" Bryt, Hermione, and Ron all asked at once.

"But you said—" Hermione went on.

"Professor Snape, meanwhile," Dumbledore said loudly, silencing the crowd, "Will be taking over the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"What?" Bryt asked, dumbfounded, turning to Harry, "You said Professor Slughorn was the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher!"

"I thought he was!" Harry said, looking as dumbfounded as Bryt felt. He scrunched up his face, obviously thinking something over, then grinned, "Well, there's one good thing. Snape'll be gone by the end of the year."

"Oh yeah!" Bryt said, brightening up herself, "We've never had a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher last the entire year."

"He might just go back to teaching Potions at the end of the year," Ron pointed out and Bryt frowned, then brightened up again. Even so, Slughorn was the Potions teacher now. Even though Bryt was great at Care of Magical Creatures, she was far better at Potions. It was a natural talent for her, but also a subject she never got to showcase that talent because of Snape's hatred of anyone who wasn't Slytherin. If Harry was right about Slughorn, Bryt might finally have her chance to shine in a subject she loved and was so passionate about.

"Now," Dumbledore said, getting everyone's attention again, "As everyone in this Hall knows, Lord Voldemort and his followers are once more at large and gaining in strength."

The silence in the Great Hall now was almost deafening. Everyone was tense, staring at Dumbledore.

"I cannot emphasize strongly enough how dangerous the present situation is, and how much care each of us at Hogwarts must take to ensure that we remain safe. The castle's magical fortifications have been strengthened over the summer, we are protected in new and more powerful ways, but we must still guard scrupulously against carelessness on the part of any student or member of staff. I urge you, therefore, to abide by any security restrictions that your teachers might impose upon you, however irksome you might find them—in particular, the rule that you are not to be out of bed after hours. I implore you, should you notice anything strange or suspicious within or outside the castle, report it to a member of staff immediately. I trust you to conduct yourselves, always, with the utmost regard for your own and others' safety."

Bryt instinctively glanced towards Mike with his little group and then towards Drew sitting between his friends, Owen and Kevin. Then Bryt reached and took Ron's hand in hers, squeezing it lightly as she looked back at Dumbledore. She thought about her promise to her parents that she would look after her brothers, and she planned to do just that. She was going to make sure nothing happened to them.

"But now, your beds await," Dumbledore said, "As warm and comfortable as you could possible wish, and I know that your top priority is to be well-rested for your lessons tomorrow. Let us therefore say good night. Pip pip!"

Hermione hurried off to help first years, but Ron hung back with Bryt and Harry. The three were standing, waiting for the crowd to get far enough ahead and Bryt knew the second anyone was out of earshot, she was going to ask Harry about why he was late to the train. She didn't want to spend all night wondering what trouble he had gotten himself into this time.


	9. Strange Behavior

"What really happened to your nose?" Ron asked as they started along, Bryt looping her arm around Ron's.

"Malfoy paralyzed me, then stomped on my face," Harry replied.

Bryt cursed loudly, tightening her grip on Ron's hand.

"I saw Malfoy miming something to do with a nose," Ron said, glaring ahead of him at the crowd of students.

"Yeah, well, never mind that," Harry said, "Listen to what he was saying before he found out I was there...He kept boasting about how he wouldn't be at Hogwarts next year, that he was 'moving on to more important things', and kept hinting that Voldemort had given him some job to do."

Bryt snorted.

"Why would Voldemort give Malfoy anything to do?" she asked, ignoring Ron's wince at Voldemort's name, "Why would anyone trust Malfoy with anything?"

"Harry's been convinced Malfoy's a Death Eater," Ron said, "Ever since we got back from Diagon Alley."

Again, Bryt laughed, though she regretted it when she noticed the look on Harry's face. He was actually serious? He really believed Malfoy was a Death Eater? The coward who ran away when things didn't go his way?

"Harry, I bet he was just trying to show off to that cow Parkinson," Bryt said, "Like I said, I doubt anyone'd trust Malfoy with anything, let alone Voldemort."

"And how d'you know Voldemort doesn't need someone at Hogwarts?" Harry countered, "It wouldn't be the first—"

"I wish yeh'd stop sayin' tha' name."

Bryt, Harry, and Ron turned to see Hagrid had come up behind them.

"Dumbledore uses that name," Harry replied.

"Yeah, well, tha's Dumbledore, innit?" Hagrid asked, "So how come yeh were late, Harry? I was worried."

"Got held up on the train," Harry replied, "Why were you _late_?"

"I was with Grawp," Hagrid said with a grin, referring to his full-giant half-brother, "Los' track o' the time. He's got a new home up in the mountains now, Dumbledore fixed it—nice big cave. He's much happier than he was in the forest. We were havin' a good chat."

Bryt looked confused. She was lucky enough that she had never met Grawp, but from what Harry and Hermione had told her and Ron, Grawp didn't have much of a vocabulary—or any acceptable social behavior.

"He's really come on," Hagrid said with a proud grin, "Yeh'll be amazed. I'm thinkin' o' trainin' him up as me assistant."

'Hopefully he decides not to,' Bryt thought, but didn't have the heart to say it out loud.

"Anyway, I'll see yeh tomorrow, firs' lesson's straight after lunch. Come early an' yeh can say hello ter Buck—I mean, Witherwings!"

"Will do, Hagrid!" Bryt said with a grin and wave as Hagrid headed out the castle doors towards his hut. When Bryt turned around again, Ron and Harry were exchanging odd looks.

"Oh, stop worrying," Bryt said, taking Ron's arm again as they started up the stairs, "I'll explain to Hagrid why you two and Hermione couldn't continue the class."

"Bryt, you're a lifesaver," Ron said, though he and Harry didn't look any less guilty. Bryt just grinned at them as they continued up the stairs.

Once in the Gryffindor common room, Bryt kissed Ron and told him and Harry good night before heading up to her room to see Parvati and Lavender already there, unpacking. Both of them looked up as Bryt came in, the unmistakable expressions that Bryt had just interrupted a conversation they didn't want overheard, then Lavender looked away just as quickly. Bryt grinned at them, figuring it was just over some boy or their latest book they were reading, and pushed the thought from her mind.

"Hey," Bryt said as she moved to her trunk. The girls returned the greeting, though Lavender's gaze was fixed on her trunk again, "Good summer?"

"As good as it could be," Parvati answered and Lavender nodded in agreement, "You?"

"Same," Bryt answered, starting to get her pictures and books out of her trunk as Hermione came in, done with her prefect duties.

Bryt finished getting the things from her trunk that she needed, then went looking for a pair of pajamas. Just as she found her pair towards the bottom of the trunk, her hand brushed against something soft and papery. Confused, Bryt pushed things around in the trunk until she found a paper-wrapped package underneath some of her clothes, a piece of parchment pinned to the front. Bryt pulled it out, easily recognizing Sofí's handwriting on the parchment:

_You'll thank me later!_

Bryt groaned, having a good feeling what was in the package. Sofí had somehow managed to sneak a set of dress robes into Bryt's trunk without Bryt even noticing.

_'I'm going to kill her,'_ Bryt thought, about to toss the package, unopened, back into the trunk when Hermione noticed.

"Bryt, what's that?" she asked.

"Sofí sneaked dress robes into my trunk," Bryt said, making a face, "Knowing I hate them."

"Dress robes?" Parvati asked, interested. Lavender looked up from her trunk as well, obviously curious as she stared at the package in Bryt's hands. Bryt sighed. She wasn't going to get out of this now. She was going to have to open the package. Besides, it'd be better for her in sending them back to Sofí if she proved she'd actually looked at them.

Very aware that her three roommates were watching her, Bryt unwrapped the package to see a bundle of orange and tan-gold cloth. As Bryt unfolded the robes to see them fully, Bryt found herself surprised that she actually _liked_ them. Yes, the robe part itself—which was the tan-gold-colored cloth of it—was the same as any dress robes, longer than normal robes and ones where Bryt felt she might trip over if she wasn't careful, but the under layer, what should have been a long, strapless gown like the one Bryt tripped over so many times during the Yule Ball, was instead a thin-strapped orange top with matching dress pants. In fact, if it weren't for the dress robes' looping, flowery pattern on the robe part being obviously feminine, Bryt would have thought Sofí had sent her men's dress robes as a joke.

"What kind of dress robes are _those_?" Lavender asked, making a face, "You might as well just wear regular robes!"

"I like them," Bryt said, carefully folding the dress robes and trying to wrap them again, realizing Sofí had also included a pair of flats the same color as the over robes.

"I think they're quite nice," Parvati admitted, "I don't think I'd wear any like them, but they're still nice."

Bryt stored away the dress robes, then finally changed into her pajamas and began writing in her journal while her roommates continued to get ready for bed. Once done writing, Bryt sat on her bed and waiting until she was sure that Parvati and Lavender had fallen asleep before she moved to sit on the edge of Hermione's bed, as Hermione was still awake as well. Not wasting any time, Bryt quickly explained in whispers what Harry and Ron had told her, from why Harry was late to the feast to Harry's theory on Malfoy being a Death Eater and what he had overheard on the train.

"Ron and I agree that Malfoy's just making stuff up to impress Parkinson," Bryt finished, "I mean, why would Voldemort trust Malfoy with anything?"

Hermione frowned, thinking it over.

"It's a big lie to tell..." she said slowly.

"This is Malfoy we're talking about," Bryt pointed out.

"I know," Hermione whispered, "But it doesn't matter. There's no way Malfoy could get something past those Secrecy Sensors. I don't think it's anything to worry about."

"Yeah, you're right," Bryt replied, getting up, "G'night, 'mione."

"Good night," Hermione replied as Bryt went back to her own bed, thoughts of Malfoy pushed far from her mind as she curled up under her covers, her mind instead drifting towards upcoming classes as she fell asleep.

**xxxxx**

The next morning, Bryt was the first ready and went down into the common room to wait on Hermione, Ron, and Harry. She was sitting near the fire, playing a bit with her camera when Mike came and sat down next to her with the boy who had been in Mike's group the night before. Close up, Bryt could tell he was a short, broad-chested boy with a mess of black hair.

"Who's your new friend?" Bryt asked her brother, putting away her camera.

"Jimmy Peakes," the short boy answered for Bryt, grinning at her, "I'm in Mike's year."

"He started talking with us because he has a crush on Natalie, no idea why," Mike said, then grinned as Jimmy went red and glared at Mike.

"I do _not_ have a crush on her," he said.

"Too bad, because you're cute."

Bryt, Mike, and Jimmy all looked up to see Natalie had come over. She grinned at them, then flopped down in the armchair near Jimmy, leaning forward to prop her arms on her knees. Poor Jimmy had gone even redder and was staring at the ceiling, but he also had a pleased look on his face. With the subject coming up on its own, Bryt took the opportunity to get something set straight with her brother.

"On this, Mike," Bryt said, turning to him, "I've noticed you're starting to get a little group of admirers."

Natalie gave a very unladylike snort, grinning mischievously and Jimmy looked like he was fighting back a laugh himself.

"Really, Bryt? In front of my friends?" Mike asked.

Like we don't already tease you about your fans," Natalie said.

Bryt sighed. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Would you rather talk about this in private?" Bryt asked. Mike rolled his eyes.

"I think I know what you'll say, and Natalie's already been annoying me about it," he said, "It's just talking, maybe some harmless flirting. I mean, it's not like I'm going to go off dating several girls at once."

"I would hope not," Bryt said as Natalie was in a fit of giggles now and Jimmy was fighting even harder not to laugh. Though Bryt couldn't help but find it strange hearing her brother talk about 'harmless flirting' or knowing when someone had a crush on his friend. Why couldn't Mike be shy like Drew? That would definitely make things easier.

"Yeah, yeah, have your fun," Mike told his friends, but Bryt noticed he was still grinning. Like Bryt, Mike took teasing good-naturedly.

Natalie and Jimmy grinned back and Bryt noticed Hermione coming into the common room at the same time as Harry and Ron.

"I'll see you later, Mike," Bryt said, "You better behave yourself."

"Don't worry, I'll keep him in line," Natalie said, though Bryt didn't feel very assured by that as she headed over to her own friends before they started out for breakfast. They had barely gotten halfway down the hallway when they noticed a group of first years grouped together, whispering and pointing towards them.

"It's rude to point," Ron snapped and the first years went red, hurrying off down the hallway. Ron smirked as he continued, "I love being a sixth year. And we're going to be getting free time this year. Whole periods when we can just sit up here and relax."

"We're going to need that time for studying, Ron!" Hermione hissed.

"Not today," Bryt said, "Today'll be good."

Hermione looked like she was going to respond when a group of fourth years started by, one of whom tried to hide a green Frisbee under his robes as he passed.

"Fanged Frisbees are banned," Hermione told the boy, "Hand it over."

The boy frowned, handing the green disc to Hermione—Bryt noticed it was growling at Hermione—before hurrying off with his friends. The second the boy was out of sight, Ron snatched the Frisbee from Hermione.

"Excellent, I've always wanted one of these."

Bryt rolled her eyes as she heard a loud giggle nearby. Bryt turned to see Lavender and Parvati behind them, but the second Lavender realized Bryt was watching her, she went quiet, ducked her head, and hurried off, Parvati right behind. Bryt stared after the two girls, confused. Why would they take off just because Lavender thought something Ron said was funny? Once Bryt thought on it, she remembered that even though Lavender talked with her the night before, Bryt couldn't remember Lavender looking at her directly. Bryt thought she and Lavender were friends. Why was she suddenly acting so strangely around her?

Bryt sighed and tried to push the thoughts from her mind as she and her friends entered the Great Hall for breakfast. Hopefully whatever was wrong with Lavender would pass soon enough.


	10. First NEWT Class

After breakfast, Bryt waited with her friends and the other sixth years for approval from their Head of Houses for class schedules. Hermione had been approved hers instantly and she was immediately off to her first class. Bryt, Ron, and Harry, however, had to wait for the line of students to slowly dwindle down.

"So, Potter..." McGonagall said, looking at a piece of parchment as Harry came up for his turn, "Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Transfiguration...All fine. I must say, I was pleased with your Transfiguration mark, Potter, very pleased. Now, why haven't you applied to continue Potions? I thought it was your ambition to become an Auror?"

"It was," Harry replied, "But you told me I had to get an Outstanding in my OWL, Professor."

"And so you did when Professor Snape was teaching the subject. Professor Slughorn, however, is perfectly happy to accept NEWT students with Exceeds Expectations at OWL. Do you wish to proceed with Potions?"

Bryt grinned, glancing at Ron, who was grinning himself. It was obvious he was thinking about becoming an Auror himself. He had thought he wouldn't be able to get that job, but now the idea was open to him again. As Harry headed out of the Great Hall with his schedule, Bryt nudged Ron with a grin as she went up and had her schedule approved without any trouble. A minute later, Ron came out with his, still grinning.

"Look," Ron said, holding his schedule out, "We've got a free period now...and a free period after break...and after lunch—"

"_You_ have a free period after lunch," Bryt pointed out, "_I_ have Care of Magical Creatures."

"Yeah, but you have a break while we have Transfiguration," Ron pointed out.

"True," Bryt said, "Even trade. C'mon, let's go enjoy our first free period."

The three made their way back up to the Gryffindor common room, greeted only by a few seventh years, Katie Bell being among them. Katie grinned when she saw them and made her way over.

"I thought you'd get that, well done," she said, pointing to Harry's captain's badge, "Tell me when you call trials."

"Don't be stupid," Harry said, "You don't need to try out, I've watched you play for five years."

"You mustn't start off like that," Katie replied, "For all you know, there's someone much better than me out there. Good teams have been ruined before because captains just keep playing old faces, or letting in their friends."

Katie headed off and Ron frowned, playing with the Fanged Frisbee he had taken from Hermione earlier, letting it fly around the room.

"Don't worry, Ron, we'll both get in," Bryt said, nudging him with a grin. Ron continued to frown, though, so they changed the subject to theorizing how different Potions would be with a different teacher. From what Harry and Neville had said, Slughorn's habit of playing favorites might lead to something similar as Snape had done, but at least it seemed he didn't outright patronize students that weren't 'up to snuff'. Either way, Bryt was eager for the class for one reason. She had always been the best at potions in her year and Harry said Slughorn liked those with talents. For the first time in five years, Bryt would finally get noticed for the hard work she put into that subject.

None of them wanted to leave the warmth of the common room when it came time for their first class, but they knew better than to be late for Defense Against the Dark Arts—especially now that Snape was teaching it.

Hermione was already outside the classroom when Bryt, Ron, and Harry got there. The bushy-haired girl had a look on her face that usually only came late in a term and was carrying an armload of books.

"We got so much homework for Runes," Hermione said, "A fifteen-inch essay, two translations, and I've got to read these by Wednesday!"

"Shame," Ron said sarcastically. Bryt elbowed him in the side.

"You wait, I bet Snape gives us loads," Hermione shot back and Ron didn't look so amused anymore. Before he could say anything, though, Snape opened the classroom door and ordered everyone inside.

Bryt had been through a lot in the past five years—faced a three-headed dog, attacked by Dementors, and faced Death Eaters—but none of that compared to the feel of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom now. The room was dark, as Snape had pulled the curtains to on every window, lit with only flickering candles. Moving pictures on the wall showed disturbing images of people in pain due to various horrific injuries or curses. It was enough to give someone nightmares—and Bryt had enough nightmare fuel to begin with. She didn't need more of it.

Bryt did anything to not look at the walls as she sat down, sitting closer to Ron than she usually did in a class, to the point that her arm was brushing up against his. Bryt didn't care. With the mood of this classroom, she needed this. It made her feel more comfortable.

"I have not asked you to take out your books," Snape said sharply as he went to his desk. Hermione quickly dropped her book and sat up straight.

"I wish to speak to you and I want your fullest attention," Snape said, looking around the classroom before continuing, "You have had five teachers in this subject so far, I believe."

_'You _know_,'_ Bryt thought. Snape had been teaching them Potions the entire time, after all.

"Naturally, these teachers will have had their own methods and priorities. Given this confusion I am surprised so many of you scraped an OWL in this subject. I shall be even more surprised if all of you manage to keep up with the NEWT work, which will be much more advanced."

Bryt straightened up herself, both annoyed at Snape for what was obviously toned to be an insult to their past teachers, and trying to pay attention. She knew Snape was right about one part, at least. NEWT year was going to deal with harder work than they had before.

"The Dark Arts are many, varied, ever-changing, and eternal," Snape said, "Fighting them is like fighting a many-headed monster, which, each time a neck is severed, sprouts a head even fiercer and cleverer than before."

_'Like the hydra,'_ Bryt thought. Or at least the Greek myths about them. From all she read, she didn't think real hydras' heads grew back.

"You are fighting that which is unfixed, mutating, indestructible. Your defenses must therefore be as flexible and inventive as the arts you seek to undo."

For some reason, Bryt began thinking of Harry's speech about fighting the Dark Arts during their DA lessons. He had also told them that it wasn't necessarily about skill—the Dark Arts were unpredictable and therefore they had to think quick and act on their feet to fight back.

"These pictures give a fair representation of what happens to those who suffer, for instance, the Cruciatus Curse," Snape motioned to a picture nearby and Bryt pretended to look, instead focusing her gaze directly below the painting. She remembered all too well the withering spider that Barty Crouch Jr. tortured to show them the effects of that same curse. She equally focused on the wall instead of pictures as Snape pointed out one demonstrating the Dementor's Kiss and the destruction an Inferius could cause.

"Has an Inferius been seen, then? Is it definite, is he using them?" Parvati asked, raising her hand in the air and sounding frightened. Bryt couldn't blame her. All she read, Inferi were terrifying. She never wanted to face one—in fact, she'd rather face a Death Eater than an Inferius.

"The Dark Lord has used Inferi in the past," Snape said in answer, starting back to his desk again, "Which means you would be well-advised to assume he might use them again. Now...you are, I believe, complete novices in the use of nonverbal spells. What is the advantage of a nonverbal spell?"

Bryt wasn't surprised to see Hermione's hand go into the air instantly. Snape looked around the room for several long seconds before finally turning towards Hermione.

"Very well—Miss Granger?"

"Your adversary has no warning about what kind of magic you're about to preform, which gives you a split-second advantage," Hermione said quickly.

"An answer copied almost word for word from The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Six," Snape said, "But correct in the essentials. Yes, those who progress to use magic without shouting incantations gain an element of surprise in their spell-casting. Not all wizards can do this, of course; it is a question of concentration and mind power which some lack."

Bryt glared as Snape focused his gaze on her group of friends. She suddenly felt a strong determination to master nonverbal spells as quickly as possible, just to throw it in Snape's face that she more than had the ability to focus on the task.

"You will now divide into pairs," Snape said, looking around the classroom again, "One partner will attempt to jinx the other _without speaking_. The other will attempt to repel the jinx _in equal silence_. Carry on."

Bryt partnered with Hermione for the lesson and decided to start with Bryt trying to cast the jinx while Hermione defended. While Bryt took a deep breath and got ready, she glanced around the room. Very few people were keeping their mouths shut and going red-faced with concentration. Most everyone was trying to mutter the spell out of their corner of their mouths. Bryt sighed and turned back to Hermione. She was determined not to do that. She was going to do this spell right.

Bryt held up her wand, focusing the best she could, completely tuning out the classroom around her. All she had to do was concentrate. Think the incantation as hard as she could and do the wand movement right.

Bryt tried again and again, but nothing happened. Hermione stood there, her wand raised and looking determined. Fifteen minutes later, Bryt wasn't surprised at all that Hermione cast a perfect shield charm without uttering a single word. What had surprised Bryt was that Hermione had to cast the charm at all, that the jinx had burst from the end of Bryt's wand in the first place. Sure, the light was much dimmer than it should have been, it obviously wasn't a strong jinx, but there was still the fact that Bryt had managed to cast a nonverbal spell.

Bryt grinned brightly and Hermione was beaming. She couldn't believe she had just cast a spell nonverbally so quickly into a lesson. Bryt raised her wand, eager to try again, but didn't get the chance as she heard Harry yell out the incantation for the shield charm nearby. Bryt and Hermione turned just in time to see Snape stumbling backwards into a desk. Bryt had a bad feeling about what had happened as Snape straightened himself up, glaring at Harry.

"Do you remember me telling you we are practicing _nonverbal_ spells, Potter?" he snapped.

"Yes," Harry replied shortly.

"Yes, _sir_."

"There's no need to call me 'sir', Professor."

Bryt groaned, slapping her hand over her face. Didn't Harry ever learn?

"Detention, Saturday night, my office," Snape said sharply, "I do not take cheek from anyone, Potter. Not even _'the Chosen One'_."

Snape dismissed the class after giving them their homework and Bryt and the others hurried out of the room.

"That was brilliant, Harry!" Ron said, grinning brightly.

"You really shouldn't have said it," Hermione said, "What made you?"

"He tried to jinx me, in case you didn't notice!" Harry snapped, "I had enough of that during those Occlumency lessons! Why doesn't he use another guinea pig for a change? What's Dumbledore playing at, anyway, letting him teach Defense? Did you hear him talking about the Dark Arts? He loves them! All that _unfixed, indestructible_ stuff—"

"Well, you told us pretty much the same thing last year," Bryt cut in.

"What?"

"Bryt's right," Hermione said, "When you were telling us what it's like to face Voldemort. You said it wasn't just memorizing a bunch of spells, you said it was just you and your brains and your guts—well, wasn't that what Snape was saying? That is really comes down to being brave and quick-thinking?"

Harry stopped, staring at Hermione and Bryt as if he couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. Luckily, the subject was changed for them as Jack Sloper—the boy who was Bryt's Beater partner the year before, and a very poor one at that—ran towards them, calling for Harry.

"For you," he said, thrusting out a rolled up piece of parchment, "Listen, I hear you're the new Captain. When're you holding trials?"

"I'm not sure yet," Harry said—Bryt thought it'd be a miracle if Sloper made it on the team again. Sloper looked dejected as Harry motioned to the others and hurried off down the hallway, opening the note. Bryt and the others followed, then huddled close to Harry to read the note:

_Dear Harry,_

_ I would like to start our private lessons this Saturday. Kindly come along to my office at 8 PM. I hope you are enjoying your first day back at school._

_Yours Sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

_PS: I enjoy Acid Pops._

"He enjoys Acid Pops?" Ron asked, looking as confused as Bryt felt.

"It's the password to get past the gargoyle outside his study," Harry whispered, "Ha! Snape's not going to be pleased...I won't be able to do his detention!"

"He'll just move it to another day," Bryt said, but they pushed the detention from their minds. Instead, they spent their break trying to decide what Dumbledore was going to teach Harry, finally agreeing that it had to be some advanced Defense spells. After break, Hermione left for Arithmancy while Bryt, Harry, and Ron headed to the common room to start their homework from Snape.

They still hadn't finished when they headed down to the Great Hall for lunch. Hermione met them at the table, again complaining about her homework load. Harry and Ron ate as slowly as possible, neither looking forward to going back to their assignments upstairs. Bryt, however, ate quickly, then got up and told her friends by, heading out in a hurry. She was eager for her first Care of Magical Creatures class of the year. She had a feeling it was going to be a good class.


	11. Favorite Classes

Bryt wasn't the first to reach Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures, apparently. Halfway across the ground, she noticed two people sitting on the fence of Hagrid's pumpkin patch. As she got closer, she realized the two were Terry Boot and one of his friends, Anthony Goldstein. Bryt couldn't help but grin. At least there were two people who she'd get along with in this class.

"Bryt, hi!" Terry called and waved as Bryt approached them, "Knew I'd see you here."

"Same here," Bryt said with a grin, then turned to Anthony, "Not surprised to see you, either."

Anthony grinned in response. Bryt knew that Anthony was a budding magizoologist. Practically every time Anthony and Bryt had talked, it was always about magical creatures.

Bryt turned and noticed Hagrid was by his cabin, with Buckbeak tethered to a wooden steak on one side and a large crate on the other. Bryt could already tell Hagrid was not happy at the small turn-out, that he was at least expecting a certain three more Gryffindors. Bryt made her way over towards Hagrid, bowing to Buckbeak as she got closer.

"They wanted to come, Hagrid," Bryt started explaining quickly, "They really did, but they couldn't fit it in their schedule."

Hagrid just grunted and Bryt sighed, petting Buckbeak as Anthony and Terry made their way over, both bowing to Buckbeak.

"I was only able to get it in my schedule because I'm not taking Transfiguration with them," Bryt went on, "They're really sorry, Hagrid."

Hagrid just nodded, but didn't say anything more. Bryt just hoped Hagrid would be in a forgiving mood soon enough. Maybe she'd get the others to come down and visit Hagrid soon, hope that could get him to understand.

By the time class was starting, only one other student had joined them: a Hufflepuff girl with black hair in a bun so sloppy it seemed as if she'd done it in seconds. She probably had, considering she looked as if she had just rolled out of bed. Bryt didn't know anything about the girl herself aside from the fact her name was Megan Jones.

"I was expectin' more of yeh, but I guess we'll make do," Hagrid said, then patting the crate next to him and pulling the lid off, "Come gather 'round, got yer firs' lesson right here."

Bryt and the others leaned together to look in the crate and Bryt grinned brightly. In terms of Hagrid's usual lessons, this one was very calm as she recognized the creatures crawling around inside. They resembled foot-long lobsters, though they were gray and covered in green spots.

"Now, can any o'yeh tell me—" Hagrid cut himself off as both Bryt and Anthony shot their hands in the air, Bryt a fraction of a second faster.

"Bryt?" Hagrid asked, his beard twitching as he started to grin. Bryt found herself grinning as well, both from Hagrid, and Anthony's look of disappointment. He was apparently used to answering questions in this class.

"They're mackled malaclaws," Bryt answered.

"Right yeh are, five points for Gryffindor," Hagrid said, beaming now. Having one of his favorite students showing she knew her work seemed to be cheering him up, "Now, listen up..."

They spent the first few minutes listening to a lecture about mackled malaclaws, creatures that were very safe, especially compared to Hagrid's normal lessons. The worst they had to worry about was the fact that a mackled malaclaw's bite would cause someone to become very unlucky for a week—well, that and the fact that they were poisonous to eat, but Bryt didn't see anything like that happening anytime soon.

The challenge of the class came during the second half when they were instructed to separate out a mackled malaclaw each and feed them without being bitten. The concentration it took to keep fingers away from the creatures' mouths was annoying, though they did get enough chatting in for Bryt to learn that Megan was fascinated with Muggle legends of mythical creatures and just how close they came to the truth sometimes. Enough so that she was planning to write a book about it after leaving Hogwarts.

"I mean, look at the griffin," Megan was saying, speaking very quickly in a way that made it hard to keep up with her, "Practically every Muggle legend I've learned about griffins—form the Muggleborns in my House and all—are almost exact when it comes to the truth. Guarding treasures, strong and proud...I've even seen a drawing from an old Muggle book, and even it was extremely close. Of course, there are some difference, but that's to be expected. Legends do change over time. But for things to remain so similar over so many years? It's amazing! Muggles can be smart sometimes, can't they? Oh, no offense to your family, Bryt. Muggles are great, after all. Anyway, my theory is that Muggles in the past have come across these creatures and the legends have held, but that doesn't explain the detail on the way the creatures' live, their preferred diet and all...Unless these stories have come from Squibs who marry into Muggle families and—ouch!"

Megan cut off, jerking her hand back and narrowing her dark eyes accusingly at where her mackled malaclaw had bitten her on the hand.

"Damn it," she said, "That's just great! Oh, I was going to help little Eleanor tonight! There's no way I'm going to get in now. Anything I do is just going to turn out bad for her. Bad luck by proxy! No, I'm just going to have to stay in my room and do absolutely nothing risky and hope that I don't end up failing classes with—"

"I'm sure teachers can take in account you got bit," Bryt cut in, unable to keep herself from grinning. She was beginning to like Megan more and more and couldn't help but wonder how she failed to notice someone who rambled so much before.

Megan started on a ramble about how unsure she was about not failing classes and Bryt took the moment to glance at Terry and Anthony while Megan was distracted. Terry looked as if he had no clue what to think and instead busied himself with his mackled malaclaw. Anthony, however, had been staring at Megan with a look similar to Mike and Drew's around Fleur. Bryt shook her head, returning her attention to her own mackled malaclaw. They spent the rest of their class listening to Megan theorizing on how bad her week would be, none of the others able to get a single word in. When class finally ended, Bryt didn't get a chance to talk with Hagrid because she had to head straight to Potions. She told Hagrid goodbye, however, and started up across the grounds with the rest of her small class.

"Megan's something else, isn't she?" Terry asked.

"No kidding," Bryt replied with a laugh, watching Megan and Anthony further ahead—neither of them had Potions next, so they were heading off to the hospital wing to see if Madam Pomfrey could do anything for Megan's bite, "I have no idea how I've never noticed her before."

"What classes did you have with Hufflepuff?" Terry asked as they reached the castle and turned to head down into the basement for Potions.

"Just Herbology," Bryt answered, then realizing, "Which probably explains it. I only ever had one class with her. I wasn't around her enough to know what she's like."

When they reached the Potions classroom, Bryt noticed Harry, Ron, and Hermione were already there. Bryt headed over to them as Terry went towards his friend, Michael Corner—while Ron glared after him. Though Ron had accepted over the past year that Bryt and Terry were still friends and Bryt had no interest in dating Terry again, Ron still seemed to be a bit hostile whenever Terry was around.

"You missed a good class," Bryt said as she got to her friends, "Mackled malaclaws, very calm for Hagrid."

"Hi Harry."

Bryt turned to see Ernie Macmillan come over—a Hufflepuff who was often loud and a bit full of himself, but otherwise someone Bryt was good friends with.

"I didn't get a chance to speak in Defense Against the Dark Arts this morning," Ernie went on, "Good lesson, I thought, but Shield Charms are old hat, of course, for us old DA lags...And how are you, Ron, Bryt, Hermione?"

Bryt barely had enough time to say her summer had been good when Slughorn stepped out of the classroom and eagerly ushered everyone into the room, though he greeted Harry and one of the Slytherins, Blaise Zabini, separately from the rest of the class.

As Bryt came into the room, she was met with an unusual mix of smells among the already normal fumes in a Potions classroom. Bryt noticed the Slytherins—Malfoy among them—sitting at a table together, Ernie went to sit with Terry and Michael, and the other two Ravenclaws sat by themselves. Bryt, Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat near a gold cauldron that was obviously the source of the new smells. Sitting here, Bryt noticed the smell of a heated pewter cauldron—strange since the cauldron next to her was gold—and also what seemed like a mix of the air after it rained and the sweater Bryt 'acquired' from Ron the winter before when she had been soaked through after a snowball fight. Bryt raised an eyebrow and looked at the potion next to them, then started grinning, suddenly realized where the smells were coming from.

"Now then, now then," Slughorn said, getting everyone's attention as he got to the front of the classroom, "Scales out, everyone, and potion kids, and don't forget your copies of _Advanced Potion-Making_."

"Sir?" Harry asked, raising his hand as Bryt started getting out her potion supplies.

"Harry, m'boy?"

"I haven't got a book or scales or anything—nor's Ron—we didn't realize we'd be able to do the NEWT, you see—"

"Ah, yes, Professor McGonagall did mention...not to worry, my dear boy, not to worry at all. You can use ingredients from the store cupboard today, and I'm sure we can all lend you some scales, and we've got a small stock of old books here, they'll do until you can write to Flourish and Blotts..."

As Slughorn spoke, he made his way to a cupboard towards the back of the room, gathered up a few things, then came back and gave Harry and Ron both old books and scales.

"Now then," Slughorn said, turning back to the class, "I've prepared a few potions for you to have a look at, just out of interest, you know. These are the kind of thing you ought to be able to make after completing your NEWTs. You ought to have heard of 'em, even if you haven't made 'em yet. Anyone tell me what this one is?"

As Slughorn pointed to a cauldron near the Slytherins, Bryt shot her hand in the air. Unfortunately, Hermione had as well and she was the one Slughorn noticed.

"It's Veritaserum," Hermione answered quickly as Bryt lowered her hand with a huff, "A colorless, odorless potion that forces the drinker to tell the truth."

"Very good, very good!" Slughorn said brightly, "Now, this one here is pretty well known." Slughorn motioned to the second potion and Bryt stuck her hand in the air before he could say anything else—Potions was _her_ chance to shine, the one class she actually did better than Hermione in, and she wanted to be appreciated for it for once. And she's be a fool not to recognize the potion similar to boiling mud next to the Ravenclaw table after making that exact potion during her second year.

"Yes?" Slughorn pointed to Bryt, still grinning.

"Polyjuice Potion," Bryt answered, "With a small bit of someone else, such as a strand of hair, added to it, it will allow you to take on the appearance of that person for a short period of time."

"Excellent, excellent!" Slughorn said, then motioning to the potion near Bryt's table, "Now this one here—"

Bryt and Hermione both shot their hands in the air and, again, Hermione was the quickest and the one Slughorn acknowledged. Again, Bryt lowered her arm with a huff. Just her luck that Hermione was the one getting most of the attention. Was it so much to ask that she get recognition in Potions for a change?

"It's Amortentia!" Hermione said.

"It is indeed. It seems almost foolish to ask, but I assume you know what it does?"

"It's the most powerful love potion in the world!"

"Quite right! You recognized it, I suppose, by its distinctive mother-of-pear sheen?"

"And the steam rising in characteristic spirals," Hermione said matter-of-factly, "And it's supposed to smell differently to each of us, according to what attracts us, and I can smell freshly mown grass and new parchment and—"

Hermione cut herself off, turning red, and Bryt straightened up, determined not to let herself go unnoticed anymore.

"But it doesn't actually _create_ love," she said, "No potion or spell can make someone love anyone, it's impossible. Amortentia actually just creates more of an obsession rather than love."

Slughorn looked extremely impressed, grinning as he looked between Bryt and Hermione.

"Might I ask your names?" he asked.

"Hermione Granger, sir."

"Bryt Watkins, sir."

"Granger? Watkins?" Slughorn's eyes lit up, "Can you possibly be related to Hector Dagworth-Granger, who founded the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers? Or Fabius Watkins, of the Montrose Magpies?"

"No sir," Bryt said, tensing as she waited for the fallout, despite what Harry had said, "We're both Muggleborn."

Malfoy leaned closer to Theodor Nott near him, whispering something that caused them both to laugh—it wasn't hard to guess what—but Slughorn ignored them as his face brightened more.

"Oho!" he said, turning to Harry, "These must be the charming young ladies you told me about! The potioneer prodigy and the top of your class?"

"Yes sir," Harry answered.

"Well, well, take twenty well-earned points for Gryffindor, both of you!" Slughorn said, leaving Malfoy looking as if he was slapped. Bryt began grinning brightly, suddenly not caring that she had just gotten into an answer-war with Hermione. She was being acknowledged for her talent finally. It wasn't like in Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid was her friend. It was one thing to get his acknowledgement of her work and another all together getting it from a teacher who didn't know her. It was the first time Bryt'd gotten this type of attention and, truthfully, she enjoyed it. It made it seem as if her hard work was paying off. It must be what Hermione felt like in every class.

"As Miss Watkins rightly stated, Amortentia creates an obsession more than love," Slughorn said, "It's probably the most dangerous and powerful potion in this room."

Malfoy and Nott looked as if they might laugh and Slughorn turned to them.

"When you have seen as much of life as I have, you will not underestimate the power of obsessive love," Slughorn said, then turned to face the entire class, "And now, it is time for us to start work."

"Sir, you haven't told us what's in this one," Ernie said, pointing to a cauldron Bryt hadn't noticed before that was sitting on Slughorn's desk. Bryt leaned forward for a better look and noticed it seemed more like Slughorn had melted gold in the cauldron. She already had a good feeling what that potion was.

"Oho," Slughorn said dramatically, "Yes. That. Well, _that_ one, ladies and gentlemen, is a most curious little potion called Felix Felicis."

Bryt straightened up, grinning brightly as she learned she was right. Hermione across from her let out a small gasp.

"I take it," Slughorn said, grinning at the two girls, "That you two know what Felix Felicis does?"

"It's liquid luck," Hermione said, "It makes you lucky!"

"But dangerous if taken excessively," Bryt spoke up, "It can make someone reckless and overconfident. Plus, it's illegal to use in situations such as games, exams, job interviews..."

"Quite right, take another ten points for Gryffindor," Slughorn said, obviously pleased, "Yes, funny little potion, Felix Felicis. Desperately tricky to make, and disastrous to get wrong. However, if brewed correctly, as this has been, you will find that all your endeavors tend to succeed...at least until the effects wear off."

"Why don't people drink it all the time, sir?" one of the Ravenclaws asked.

"Well, as Miss Watkins here pointed out," Slughorn said with a proud grin at Bryt that left her feeling very pleased with herself, "If taken Felix Felicis causes giddiness, recklessness, and dangerous overconfidence. Too much of a good thing, you know...highly toxic in large quantities. But taken sparingly, and very occasionally..."

"Have you ever taken it, sir?" Michael asked.

"Twice in my life," Slughorn said, "Once when I was twenty-four, once when I was fifty-seven. Two tablespoonfuls taken with breakfast. Two perfect days."

Slughorn stared off in the distance, seeming lost in his own memories. Bryt grinned. So far, she liked Slughorn. He might seem showy and have his collection of favorites, as Harry had told her, but he still seemed like a good man so far and he definitely knew how to keep a class interested. Out of the corner of her eye, Bryt noticed Ron was staring at her with the same look he often gave Hermione when she was being an 'annoying know-it-all', as he put it. Bryt just grinned back at him.

"And that," Slughorn said, coming out of his daze, "Is what I shall be offering as a prize in this lesson."

Bryt straightened up in her seat. A chance to earn some liquid luck? She had a feeling that was something that would come in handy—especially with the trouble she and her friends got into quite often.

"One tiny bottle of Felix Felicis," Slughorn went on, holding up a small vile barely an inch big, "Enough for twelve hours' luck. From dawn till dusk, you will be lucky in everything you attempt.

"Now, I must give you warning that Felix Felicis is a banned substance in organized competitions, again, as Miss Watkins pointed out earlier," Slughorn again gave Bryt a proud grin, "Sporting events, for instance, examinations, or elections. So the winner is to use it on an ordinary day only...and watch how that ordinary day becomes extraordinary!

"So, how are you to win my fabulous prize? Well, by turning to page ten of _Advanced Potion-Making_. We have a little over an hour left to us, which should be time for you to make a decent attempt at the Draught of Living Death. I know it is more complex than anything you have attempted before, and I do not expect a perfect potion from anybody. The person who does best, however, will win little Felix here. Off you go!"

Bryt flipped open her book quickly and set to work, the prize of a luck potion set firm in her mind.


	12. Potions Information

As usual with Potions, Bryt tried to tune out everyone around her as she set to work on her potion, already working on her known tweaks that made potions better—like crushing the sopophorus bean instead of cutting it gave far more juice. It wasn't long at all before Bryt's potion was at the perfect halfway stage and she kept going, though got distracted as Malfoy spoke up nearby.

"Sir, I think you knew my grandfather, Abraxas Malfoy?"

"Yes," Slughorn replied without even so much as glancing at Malfoy as he passed the Slytherin table, "I was sorry to hear he had died, although of course it wasn't unexpected, dragon pox at his age..."

Bryt snorted, turning back to her potion, which was beginning to turn a light lilac. For once, Malfoy was going to have to actually work instead of relying on favoritism from a teacher. Bryt couldn't help but smile at the thought as she began to stir, expecting her potion to slowly become paler. The potion seemed to have other plans, however, as didn't seem to be changing much at all. Bryt frowned at it and checked her instructions again, even though she knew she was doing everything right.

"How are you doing that?" Hermione hissed nearby. Bryt looked up to see her glaring at Harry and when she followed her gaze, her eyes widened as she noticed Harry's potion was already a very faint pink.

"Add a clockwise stir—"

"No, no, the book says counterclockwise!" Hermione cut Harry off.

"Add the stir when?" Bryt asked eagerly. She knew changed instructions helped and she was more than curious about this one. Though she was curious how Harry knew this, she told herself she could ask him about it later. Better to take advantage of it now.

"After every seventh," Harry replied.

Bryt nodded and turned back to her potion, doing as Harry said. The effect was immediate and her potion began to grow paler as well. As she worked, Ron kept cursing across from her as his potion continued to look more like tar. When Bryt offered to help, he just waved her off and kept staring at his own book with a glare so harsh, Bryt wouldn't be surprised to see the book burst into flames. Bryt frowned, wishing Ron would let her help, but finally turned her focus back to own potion. As time passed, her potion slowly became more and more pale, just as it was supposed to be doing.

"And time's up!" Slughorn called at the end of class, "Stop stirring, please!"

Bryt sunk back in her chair and looked next to her, seeing Ron's potion was still looking more like boiling tar. Hermione's was still a faint pink, but Bryt's was very clear—the only one that seemed as close as hers was Harry's across from her. In fact, their potions looked practically identical. Bryt couldn't wait to get out of class and figure out how Harry suddenly had that huge jump in his potion skills. Mainly because she wanted to know what tricks she hadn't figured out yet, like that extra stir.

Slughorn started walking from table to table, checking each student's potion, his expression ranging from frowns or flat-out ignoring total disasters to small nods at good attempts. Bryt sat as straight as she could, watching him move across the room before reaching their table. Slughorn barely even glanced at Ron's cauldron of tar and gave Hermione a smile and nod at hers before turning towards Harry and Bryt, looking several times between their potions as if trying to compare them. Bryt fidgeted slightly, gripping her turquoise bracelet under the table. She'd never been this nervous in a Potions class before.

"You two are not making this easy on me!" Slughorn said, though he looked practically beside himself with excitement, "How can I choose between two brilliant pieces of work?"

Slughorn was quiet for a moment, still staring at the two cauldrons. Bryt sat, brushing the loose strands of her headband back over her shoulder before going back to gripping her bracelet, knowing it wouldn't matter whether she or Harry got the Liquid Luck. Still, she couldn't help but hope it'd be her. Not for the potion itself, but for finally being recognized as the best in their class when it came to potions.

"Well, I think there can only be one way to settle this!" Slughorn finally said, turning quickly and heading towards his desk where the caldron of Felix Felicis stood. Bryt blinked in surprise as Slughorn took another tiny vial and dipped out enough of the potion to fill it, then corked the vial and came back over to the table, handing one each to both Bryt and Harry.

"It's a tie!" Slughorn said happily, "Excellent, excellent both of you! Good lord, Harry, it's clear you've inherited your mother's talent. She was a dab hand at Potions, Lily was! Here you two are, then, here you are—one bottle of Felix Felicis each, as promised, and use it well!"

Slughorn dismissed the class after that and Bryt waited until they were in the Great Hall for dinner, sure they wouldn't be overheard, before asking Harry how he knew the extra stir trick for the potion.

"My Potions book," Harry said in a whisper, "Some student wrote alternate instructions to what the book had. I just followed them instead."

Bryt was impressed at whoever it was who owned Harry's book last. She was just about to ask to borrow the book, to see if she could find any other tips she hadn't figured out on her own yet, when Harry spoke up again, looking at Hermione.

"I s'pose you think I cheated?" he asked and Bryt looked over to see Hermione frowning.

"Well, it wasn't exactly your own work, was it?" she asked.

"I took the tip about the stirs, too, Hermione," Bryt pointed out, "Sometimes there are better ways than what's listed in the books." Bryt turned back to Harry, "Do you mind if I borrow that book when you're not using it? I wanna see if there's some other tips I can learn from."

Harry looked reluctant, but finally nodded. Bryt grinned brightly, eager to take advantage of the opportunity. Unfortunately, that didn't get to happen until Thursday morning when Harry, Ron, and Hermione headed off for Transfiguration. Bryt told her friends she'd see them after class, then left for the library, hoping to find a small table hidden away in the back corner were Madam Pince wouldn't notice her writing in a book. Bryt would have stayed in the common room, but she was going a bit stir crazy as she had spent practically every moment outside of class and meals up there working on homework. She wanted a change of scenery for once.

Bryt was relieved to find the library practically deserted—after all, most people were in class. Bryt made her way to the back of the library, practically hidden from everyone around her, and sat down, pulling out her own Potions book as well as Harry's, and set to work. She noticed only a few pages in that there were also some types of spells written in some margins, but Bryt ignored them, focusing more on deciphering the tiny handwriting around instructions, only copying over the ones that she didn't already know about, which were quite a few.

Bryt stayed focused on her work until only a few minutes before she had to leave to catch up with her friends for lunch. Bryt had just finished packing away her things when she heard a series of thuds on the other side of a nearby shelf, followed by a string of curses. Bryt swung her bag up over her shoulder, then headed over to the noise to see Megan squatting down among a pile of fallen books, though she wasn't alone. Another student, a guy Bryt didn't recognize, was knelt down next to Megan, helping her with her books. Bryt came over, squatting down to help as well.

"I see your bad luck's still going," Bryt said with a grin at Megan, who sighed in annoyance and brushed away one of the many loose strands of her 'just-rolled-out-of-bed' hair knot. Bryt was beginning to believe that Megan just didn't care about her hair rather than overslept often.

"Of course it's still going!" Megan said as she grabbed one of the books, "I was only bit on Monday at, what as it? One-thirty, probably. I still have—" Megan paused to check her watch, seeming not to notice the book the guy was holding out to her, "—Four days, twenty-two hours. More or less. Oh, thanks, Noah." Megan finally noticed the guy an took the book from him, then turned back to Bryt. "This stuff is going to be the death of me, I know it. Why did I have to get bit? Why couldn't the nice little mackled malaclaw just let me take care of it and not bite me? It's ruining so many of my plans—"

"Stop worrying, Megan," the boy named Noah said and Bryt finally looked over at him for the first time, then froze. He was a tall, lanky boy with a mess of blonde hair that fell over his face and he wore thick glasses that balanced on a nose that seemed a bit too big for his face. The type of guy who seemed to perfectly fit the image of a nerd. But that wasn't what worried Bryt. She hadn't recognized him at first, but now she did—she should have earlier, he was in her year and they had shared a couple of classes in the past few years. Bryt had no idea what he was doing helping Megan pick up her books. It was against his nature.

After all, Noah Goddard was a Slytherin.


	13. Unexpected Revelations

Megan was still rambling about her bad luck as the three of them got the last of the books and stood up. Bryt was trying hard not to look at the Slytherin standing near her, but she found him hard to ignore when he suddenly spoke up.

"You're Bryt Watkins, aren't you? One of Harry Potter's friends?"

Bryt looked over at him, a bit surprised. It wasn't about him knowing who she was or that she was friends with Harry. It was more his tone. Goddard sounded simply curious. There was no spite, no sarcasm. Just asking a question.

"Er, yeah," Bryt said, unable to think of anything else.

"Oh, how stupid of me!" Megan said suddenly, looking to Goddard, "Noah, this is Bryt. She's in Care of Magical Creatures with me." Megan turned to Bryt, "This is Noah. He's my cousin. Well, more like fifth cousin or something like that—"

"Second cousins," Goddard said with a sigh, as if he were used to this. Considering he was related to Megan, he probably was. Bryt glanced between the two again, but didn't think they looked anything alike. After all, Megan was dark-skinned, dark-haired, and dark-eyed, her clothes messy and her hair pulled up as if she'd done it in a second and left it that way. Goddard was pale with thick glasses and kept his clothes and hair neat.

"Oh, yeah, of course," Megan said, waving off his explanation before turning back to Bryt, "Anyway, Noah used to tutor me with Ancient Runes, but I completely flunked that class. But we try to talk as often as we can and all. He's actually pretty nice once you get past that quiet shell of his."

Bryt was even more confused as she glanced towards Goddard, who just gave a half-shrug and seemed to be grinning a little. Now that she thought back on it, really the only reason she knew Goddard's name was from hearing a teacher call on him in class. When it came down to it, Bryt couldn't remember a single time that she'd even seen Goddard outside of a classroom and thinking about in class, Bryt had to think hard to realize just that Goddard usually sat alone and rarely ever spoke. Bryt had never paid much attention to it before—after all, Goddard was a Slytherin. If he left Bryt alone, she didn't see any reason to start picking fights. But he was Megan's cousin and she seemed to think he was nice. Maybe he was.

"Well, it's...um...nice to meet you," Bryt finally said, holding out her hand cautiously. Goddard smiled and took Bryt's hand, shaking it—a normal handshake, not scowling and taking as little time to limit touching Bryt's hand.

"Same here," Goddard said, "Anyone who causes problems for Malfoy and his little group of followers are okay in my book."

Bryt just stared at Goddard. That was the last thing she expected a Slytherin to say—even if someone did vouch that he was nice.

"I think you broke her brain," Megan said with a giggle—Bryt vaguely noticed this was the shortest comment Megan had ever made.

Goddard gave a weak smile. Bryt shook her head slowly, then grinned herself.

"Anyone who hates Malfoy's definitely on my good side," she finally said.

"Yeah, Noah's hated Malfoy ever since third year," Megan said, finally getting the last of the books put away, "Don't blame him, though. I'd hate a guy, too, if he kept belittling me just because of—"

"_Megan_," Goddard said sharply.

"—who I date," Megan went on, obviously not hearing Goddard, "Malfoy's always been asking for a big punch in the face." Megan turned to Bryt with a grin. "Hear you've been taking care of that."

Bryt grinned back, feeling a bit awkward at that particular habit of hers getting any attention.

"Yeah, well, as you say, he's just asking for it," she said, then jumped as the bell signaling the end of morning classes echoed through the castle. She checked her watch and sighed, "I gotta get going, I'm meeting my friends for lunch."

"Sure," Megan said, "See you in Care of Magical Creatures!"

"See you," Bryt said, then turned to Goddard and gave him a genuine smile this time, "It really was nice meeting you."

"Same here," Goddard replied.

Bryt turned, leaving the cousins and starting out of the library and down the stairs, still trying to fully wrap her mind around what she learned with meeting Goddard. For five years, she had always thought any Slytherin were self-absorbed bastards. It was one of the traits she thought was crucial for the Slytherin House. Yet meeting Noah Goddard...He was not only nice, but he seemed to be on the outs with Malfoy as well, despite the fact they were in the same House and year.

_'I shouldn't be too surprised,'_ Bryt thought, _'I mean, Malfoy's probably hated by everyone but Parkinson. And if Hufflepuff has pricks like Smith, why can't Slytherin have a couple of nice people?'_

Of course, Goddard seemed to have a good reason to hate Malfoy, considering Malfoy apparently didn't approve of Goddard's girlfriend. Goddard probably had started dating a Muggleborn or a Gryffindor. Either way, it shouldn't matter, but Malfoy probably thought Goddard was a disgrace to humans everywhere. Though Bryt couldn't help but wonder why Goddard hadn't wanted Megan to mention that. After all, it really didn't matter who he dated, and in the short time Bryt talked to him, she didn't think Goddard would care if someone knew he dated a Muggleborn or Gryffindor. He had been quite nice to her, and Bryt was both.

Bryt shook her head, pushing the thoughts away as she reached the Great Hall. She headed over towards the Gryffindor table where her friends had already put food on their plates. Bryt sat down, getting her own food, suddenly realizing how hungry she was.

"You usually beat us down here," Ron said, "What happened?"

"I ran into Megan and her cousin," Bryt said, "Megan accidentally knocked over a few books on a shelf, and I was helping them put them back up. Megan's cousin is a lot nicer than I expected, especially considering he's in Slytherin."

Harry and Ron both choked on their food and Hermione looked at Bryt curiously.

"What the bloody hell were you doing talking to a Slytherin?" Ron asked.

"He was with Megan," Bryt said, "The guy, Goddard, is her cousin. She says he's actually very nice. And he hates Malfoy. Apparently he didn't approve of Goddard's girlfriend a few years ago or something."

"Goddard? I think I have Ancient Runes with him," Hermione said, "He rarely ever talks, though he does seem nice."

Harry looked thoughtful over that, but Ron still looked like he thought the idea of a nice Slytherin was as impossible as Bryt suddenly turning into the picture of fashion and femininity. Bryt had to admit, if she hadn't talked to Goddard herself, she wouldn't believe it. But people were surprising that way.

**xxxxx**

The rest of the day and all of the next passed by normally and though Bryt had been looking forward to her first weekend, it turned out she had to spend the entire Saturday catching up on homework with her friends. When it started to grow dark, Harry left for his lesson with Dumbledore and Bryt and Ron both decided to take a break from homework. Bryt had borrowed Harry's copy of _Advanced Potion Making_ to copy more of the Prince's notes that she didn't already know about. Hermione kept glaring at the book, but never said anything, and Ron was stretched out across the couch while Bryt sat practically on top of Ron's legs as she worked.

By the time Harry returned hours later, Bryt had finally reached the last page of the book and finished copying the Prince's notes that she needed. She gave Harry his text book back as he sat down in an armchair and Bryt stretched back so she was leaning against Ron on the couch, something Ron protested against at first, but finally just gave up and pulled his arms around Bryt's waist.

"How'd the lesson go?" Hermione asked Harry.

Harry looked around, though the common room was deserted as everyone else had left for bed already—another reason why Bryt didn't think Ron should complain about her laying against him at the moment. It wasn't as if other students were going to see them.

"Dumbledore is showing me memories," Harry explained in a whisper, "All of which are supposed to be connected to Voldemort, what he's up to..."

"How are you seeing memories?" Bryt asked, confused.

"A pensieve," Harry said, "Like I saw Barty Crouch Jr.'s trial a couple of years ago."

"What memories does Dumbledore think are important?" Hermione asked.

"Well, the one he showed me tonight was about Voldemort's family," Harry said and Bryt, once again, ignored Ron's wince behind her, "Apparently, Voldemort's mother had fallen in love with a Muggle and slipped him a love potion to get him to marry her. Her father and brother disowned her because they prided themselves on blood purity—they really are descended from Salazar Slytherin. When she got pregnant, she decided to stop giving her husband the love potion and he left her. She was heartbroken and stopped using magic, then died shortly after giving birth to Voldemort in an orphanage where Voldemort grew up."

"I wish you'd stop saying his name," Ron said sharply.

"What does knowing all this have to do with what Voldemort's doing now?" Bryt asked.

"I don't know," Harry said, "But Dumbledore says it's very important. I guess I'll have to wait until I've seen more memories."

Bryt frowned, staring off at the fire. She always knew that Voldemort had to have been a kid once, had to have grown up somewhere—an orphanage, from what they learned in their second year. But still hearing about it from memories Harry apparently witnessed made it more real somehow. It was no longer just some story that Bryt didn't quite believe, couldn't quite imagine. Voldemort had a very real beginning, very real parents. Hearing how his mother practically enslaved a man to be a husband for her and how he left her while she was pregnant, Bryt found herself feeling extremely grateful for her family. A family that loved her and loved each other.

Bryt looked down at Ron's hands underneath hers at her waist and she realized the story made her realize how lucky she was in another aspect. The man she loved also loved her as well. She had a wonderful boyfriend completely free of sneaking love potions to fake a relationship. Bryt couldn't understand how anyone could be that obsessive about someone to practically enslave him or her that way.

_'I'm so lucky,'_ Bryt thought, leaning her head back against Ron's chest, closing her eyes.


	14. From Bad News to Good News

Classes for the next week passed as they had the week before and Bryt and her friends quickly learned that non-verbal spells were required practically all classes. Bryt was glad that non-verbal spells was a rare time she picked up on something very quickly.

Care of Magical Creatures and Potions continued to be Bryt's best classes and, for the first time, she enjoyed both. Care of Magical Creatures was always interesting, not for the creatures they took care of, but also for Megan's constant rambling about anything that popped into her head. It made it hard to get any talking done themselves, but Megan was a joy to listen to—and Bryt couldn't help but notice that Anthony always took in everything Megan said as if it were the most fascinating thing on earth. Bryt was never good at judging emotions, but she had a good feeling Anthony had a crush on the talkative Hufflepuff.

Bryt had been looking forward to that following Saturday for they were finally having Quidditch trials. Unfortunately, Bryt's mood was dampened majorly when she got a letter from Sofí that morning. The first thing she had noticed was that it was mercifully short compared to most. Sofí often wrote long, long letters that were mostly going into excruciating detail of everything from what she had to breakfast to how many steps it took her to walk from Madam Malkin's to the Leaky Cauldron for lunch. Bryt had a feeling this was mostly due to Sofí probably trying to annoy the hell out of whoever it was that checked their letters.

With a bad feeling that this letter wouldn't have any of that, Bryt leaned over it to read:

_Brychelle,_

_ Got some news for you. Astrid's dropped out of her final year at Salem and is moving out here with us. She's going to live with me and Julio until she can get herself on her feet. You know, getting herself a job and find her own place. I'm trying to see if I can get her an interview at that pet shop in Diagon Alley, she likes working with animals._

_ It's gonna be fun having Astrid around. Too bad she had to leave Salem early. Won't really go into details in a letter, but remember what you asked me about a couple of years ago while we were shopping? Well, turns out it's not a secret anymore._

_ Your friend Emily's trying to pull strings to help Astrid get here soon, so she should be here before your first Hogsmeade visit. When is it, anyway? Julio and I are going to try and get off work so we can visit. Astrid'll come, too!_

_Write back soon!_

_Sofí_

Bryt frowned, staring at the letter as she reread it several times. She knew from Sofí that Astrid was determined to finish her education at Salem. The woman planned to work at the Bureau of Defense in America, something that would take top grades at Salem. But now Astrid not only dropped out of her last year at Salem, but was moving completely out of the country? Something major had to happen.

Then, Bryt reread one line of the letter: _remember what you asked me about a couple of years ago while we were shopping? Well, turns out it's not a secret anymore._

Bryt racked her brain, trying to remember what Sofí was talking about.

"Is something wrong?"

Bryt looked up to notice Hermione staring at her. She thought for a moment about telling Hermione it was nothing, but then remembered the only time she'd been around Astrid, Hermione had been there as well. She might know what Sofí was talking about. Besides, Hermione'd find out about Astrid soon enough. She opened her mouth to tell her when Harry suddenly choked on his orange juice. Bryt looked up to see Harry had taken her copy of the _Daily Prophet_ and had been reading it.

"What happened?" Bryt asked anxiously, her mind going through all the people she knew. She couldn't help but think about the day before when Hannah Abbott had been pulled from Herbology class to be told her mother had been killed by a Death Eater. Bryt remembered being horrified after that. She had met Mrs. Abbott, just briefly, after all. Even though they had only talked for a few minutes, she had liked the woman. It didn't seem right for her to just be gone.

"Stan Shunpike's been arrested," Harry said.

"What?" Bryt asked, confused, "That weird guy from the Knight Bus?"

"Yeah," Harry said grimly, "They think he's a Death Eater." Harry dropped the paper. "They're all mental."

"He might have been put under the Imperius Curse," Ron said, "You never can tell."

"It doesn't look like it," Hermione said—she had pulled the paper close to her and was reading the article now, "It says here he was arrested after he was overheard talking about the Death Eaters' secret plans in a pub." Hermione looked up at the others, frowning. "If he was under the Imperius Curse, he'd hardly stand around gossiping about their plans, would he?"

"It sounds like he was trying to make out he knew more than he did," Ron said, then turning to Harry, "Isn't he the one who claimed he was going to become Minister of Magic when he was trying to chat up those veela?"

"Yeah, that's him," Harry replied, "I dunno what they're playing at, taking Stan seriously."

"Probably just want to make people think they're doing _something_," Bryt said bitterly, "They don't care who they arrest. Just that they arrest someone."

"People are terrified," Hermione said, "Parvati told me and Bryt last night that her parents are pressuring her and Padma to come home, and Eloise Midgen has already been withdrawn. Her father picked her up last night."

"Not to mention Hannah being pulled out yesterday," Bryt said quietly.

"But Hogwarts is safer than their homes, bound to be!" Ron said, looking dumbfounded, "We've got Aurors, and all those extra protection spells, and we've got Dumbledore!"

Hermione glanced towards the staff table, then leaned forward. Bryt leaned forward herself, knowing that what Hermione was about to say was something she didn't want overheard.

"I don't think we've got him all the time," Hermione whispered, "Haven't you noticed? His seat's been empty almost all week."

Bryt, Ron, and Harry all looked to the staff table at the same time. As Hermione had said, Dumbledore's seat was empty. Bryt didn't remember seeing Dumbledore at all after the beginning of the term.

"I think he's left the school to do something with the Order," Hermione went on quietly, "I mean...it's all looking serious, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," Bryt said, her mind going back to Sofí's letter in her hands. She pushed herself to her feet. "I'm gonna go ahead and get my broom and head down to the pitch. Hermione, can I talk to you about something? My, er...My Charms homework."

"Sure," Hermione said, looking a bit confused.

"I'll see you two at the pitch," Bryt told Harry and Ron, kissing Ron lightly on the cheek before heading out. Once she and Hermione were on the Grand Staircase and Bryt was sure she wouldn't be overheard, she handed Hermione Sofí's letter. Hermione read over it once, an odd look crossing her face.

"Oh," she said quietly.

"Oh what?" Bryt asked, "I can't remember what Sofí's talking about. I mean, it has to be something drastic to make Astrid give up her lifetime wish like that."

Hermione handed Bryt back the letter, frowning.

"You don't remember what Sofí told us?" she asked, "About Astrid's...well..._type_?"

Bryt blinked, confused, then it suddenly hit her. The way she kept feeling uncomfortable about all the attention Astrid kept giving her that summer and then finding out the reason for it. How Sofí gave a rare moment of seriousness when she realized she had let it slip and begged Bryt and Hermione not to let Astrid know they knew. Truthfully, Bryt had realized it shouldn't matter and she had, sadly, completely forgotten about it.

"No wonder Astrid decided to leave," Bryt said, "Sofí said her type weren't exactly welcomed, especially in old-fashioned families."

"Yeah," Hermione said as they reached the Gryffindor common room, then cut across the nearly-empty room to head up the stairs to get Bryt's broom, "At least Sofí and Julio are helping her. Hopefully Emily can help Astrid get here soon."

Bryt nodded, hiding away the letter in the bottom of her trunk to answer later and grabbed her _Nimbus Seventeen-Hundred_ before heading back down the stairs, eager for Quidditch tryouts to take her mind off all the bad news she'd already gotten that day. She just had to hope this wouldn't be a sign for how the rest of the day would turn out.

**xxxxx**

When Bryt got down to the pitch with Hermione, she noticed a crowd already had formed. Bryt saw a group of first years among them and couldn't help but wonder if any of them even knew how to fly the brooms they were holding.

Bryt saw Ron nearby, looking green, and headed over to him.

"You'll do great, Ron," Bryt said with a grin, "You won us the Cup last year, remember? You'll make the team again."

Ron just nodded and Bryt heard someone call her name. She turned to see Mike, Natalie, and Jimmy heading over to them, grinning.

"Hey, Bryt," Mike said, "Jimmy's trying out for Beater, too. Wouldn't it be great if you both got on the team?"

"We don't know that's going to happen, Mike," Bryt pointed out, "Could be only one of us gets on the team, or neither. We'll find out when we try out."

"Oh, like you won't get on," Natalie rolled her eyes, "We all saw how you played last year. You're the best here—sorry, Jimmy."

"She's got more experience, I don't mind," Jimmy said with a weak smile. Bryt grinned back as Harry called for everyone's attention nearby. Mike and Natalie hurried off to join the crowd of spectators nearby.

The practice didn't get off to a good start. Harry spent nearly an hour sorting out the people who were actually there for tryouts and the ones who were there just to be there—over half of the group consisted of first years who didn't know how to fly, groups of giggling girls, and several of them weren't even from the Gryffindor House.

Three hours later, Harry had finally managed to weed out the players and had the Chasers chosen—Katie Bell and Ginny Weasley were back on the team, with Ginny as a Chaser instead of Keeper this time, and a new player, a girl a year below Bryt named Demelza Robins.

Beater tryouts went far better than Bryt expected—she made it onto the team again, though she hadn't been worried about that. What she had been worried about was if the second Beater would end up like the one she had to play with last year. To Bryt's relief, Mike's new friend, Jimmy, made the team—and he was a very good Beater, aside from the fact that he nearly knocked Harry out with a hit to the head at one point during the trial. Luckily, Harry had thought it was a good shot.

Bryt went to join the rest of the team chosen so far just as Mike and Natalie ran over to congratulate her and Jimmy. Bryt thanked them before the three got into a conversation with each other and Bryt went over to close by, who looked annoyed with the tall, burly seventh year who was currently bragging about how it was a 'given' that he was going to make Keeper.

"I mean, no one has my talent," he was saying, "I should have been on the team last year, but I was in the Hospital Wing. So that loser Weasley ended up on the team instead—"

"Ron won us the Cup last year, in case y'fergot," Bryt snapped, gripping her broom to keep herself from hitting the git in front of her.

"A fluke," he said, waving Bryt off and she gripped her broom tighter, about to give in and hit him anyway, but Harry called him over for his tryout.

"God, he's an ass," Bryt hissed.

"His name's Cormac McLaggen," Hermione said, glaring after him, "The entire time he was over here, all he did was make fun of the entire team..."

"He won' get on the team," Bryt snapped, "Ron'll beat him, I'm sure of it. Anyway, I should get back down t'the pitch, see y'in a bit."

Bryt turned and hurried back down to where Ron was waiting for his turn. Bryt noticed he still looked quite green.

"You'll do great," Bryt assured him with a small grin, watching with a sinking feeling as McLaggen blocked four goals in a row. She bit on her lower lip, but then felt a wave of relief when McLaggen not only missed the last goal, but went swerving off in the complete opposite direction.

"See?" Bryt said with a bit of a laugh, "No one here is as good as you. Now head up and kick ass."

Ron didn't look at all convinced. Bryt frowned, but gave Ron a quick kiss before he headed over to where Harry was waiting as McLaggen landed, looking pissed. Bryt gripped her bracelet between her hands, watching as Ron shot into the air.

"C'mon Ron, you can do it," Bryt whispered, then found herself grinning more and more with each goal Ron saved—which ended up being all five.

"Ron, you were amazing!" Bryt said the second Ron landed, throwing her arms around him in a hug, "I told you not to worry!"

"Yeah, you were right," Ron said, beaming, "I was brilliant, wasn't I?"

Bryt laughed, knowing Ron was going to be in a good mood and bragging about his accomplishment for days now. Bryt didn't care, she was just glad Ron made the team—and that McLaggen didn't. Bryt and Ron turned, jogging across the pitch to join the rest of the team just as McLaggen went storming off in the other direction, looking as if he might hit something. Bryt didn't care. She just turned back, one arm still looped around Ron's, the other bracing her broom against her shoulder, as Harry gave the now-completed team his congratulations. Bryt glanced around at the group they had and had a feeling that this would be a good year. The team looked strong and Bryt had the feeling that they were going to play well together.

_'This'll go much better than last year,'_ Bryt told herself, still grinning.


	15. At Hagrid's and Slughorn's

After telling the rest of the team goodbye, Bryt and her friends started across the castle grounds towards Hagrid's hut. Bryt was starting to get hungry again and hoped that Hagrid would have something besides rock cakes.

Ron, as predicted, was still ecstatic about his perfect tryout and was acting as if he'd never been nervous in the first place, and as if Bryt, Harry, and Hermione hadn't been there to see him try out.

"I thought I was going to miss that fourth penalty," he was saying, "Tricky shot from Demelza, did you see, had a bit of a spin on it—"

"And you blocked it all the same," Bryt said, nudging Ron slightly, "I told you that you had nothing to worry about. You were brilliant."

"Better than McLaggen anyway," Ron said, grinning brightly, "Did you see him lumbering off in the wrong direction on his fifth? Looked like he'd been Confunded."

Hermione suddenly quickened her pace and Bryt fought to hide a laugh as Ron continued to relive each of his saves. When they finally reached Hagrid's hut, Bryt did the customary bow to Buckbeak before moving closer and petting him along his head.

"Bryt, how can you feel so comfortable around him?" Hermione asked anxiously.

"Because he's quite sweet," Bryt said with a grin, then looking at Buckbeak, "Aren't you?"

Ron muttered something under his breath, though Bryt had a good feeling that he was calling her mental—it wouldn't be the first time, after all.

"Oi! Git away from him!"

Bryt looked up to see Hagrid coming over, carrying a large sack of potatoes, with Fang running along beside him. Hagrid slowed to a stop when he realized who was at his up.

"Bin wonderin' when yeh three were comin' to visit," Hagrid said with a grin, "C'mon in."

Hagrid went into his hut with that and Hermione, Harry, and Ron looked confused.

"Hey, I told you three I was able to convince him you were busy with other classes," Bryt said simply before heading to the door.

Inside was still as warm and crowded as Bryt always knew it to be, though she noticed a large bucket full of what looked like super-sized maggots.

"What are they, Hagrid?" Harry asked, sounding as if he might be sick as he noticed the bucket, too.

"Jus' giant grubs," Hagrid replied as they all sat down and he gave them each a plate of rock cakes—Bryt fought back a frown and knew instantly that she was going to be eating a bigger dinner than usual that night.

"And they grow into..." Ron started.

"They won' grow inter nuthin'. I got 'em ter feed ter Aragog."

Hagrid sat still for a moment, then buried his face in his hands and started sobbing. Bryt and Hermione both jumped to their feet at the same time and hurried over to him.

"It's...him..." Hagrid managed through tears, "It's...Aragog...I think he's dyin'...He got ill over the summer an' he's not getting' better...I don' know what I'll do if he...if he...We've bin tergether so long..."

"Why didn't you tell me, Hagrid?" Bryt asked, patting him on the arm—the only place she could reach, even with Hagrid sitting down and her standing up, "I mean, when I've been in class?"

"Didn' want ter worry yeh," Hagrid said weakly.

"Is there...is there anything we can do?" Hermione asked weakly and Bryt noticed Ron look horrified nearby and shaking his head at Hermione. Bryt shot him a glare. She didn't really want anything to do with Aragog—especially after how her last visit to the acromantula had turned out—but Hagrid was their friend. They could at least hide their displeasure of wanting to be around Hagrid's more dangerous pets.

"I don' think there is, Hermione," Hagrid managed, slowly starting to calm down, "See, the rest o' the tribe...Aragog's family...they're gettin' a bit funny now he's ill...but restive...I don' reckon it'll be safe fer anyone but me ter go near the colony at the mo'. But thanks fer offerin', Hermione...It means a lot..."

Hagrid gave them a weak grin. After that, they chatted about the new Quidditch team until it started to grow dark and Bryt, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had to get back up to the castle before they got into trouble. They gave Hagrid a quick goodbye before hurrying off, Bryt eager to eat some real food.

Once in the Great Hall, Bryt's stomach growled more at the smell of the food. She started for the Gryffindor table, but Slughorn came up to them, blocking the way.

"Harry, Harry, just the man I was hoping to see!" he said happily, "I was hoping to catch you before dinner! What do you say to a spot of supper tonight in my room instead? We're having a little party, just a few rising stars, I've got McLaggen coming and Zabini, the charming Melinda Bobbin—I don't know whether you know her? Her family owns a large chain of apothecaries—and, of course, I hope very much that Misses Granger and Watkins will favor me by coming too."

Slughorn gave Bryt and Hermione a small bow, but acted as if Ron wasn't even there—something that made Bryt instantly decide that she wasn't going to the dinner.

"I can't come, Professor," Harry said, "I've got a detention with Professor Snape."

"Oh dear! Dear, dear, I was counting on you, Harry! Well, now, I'll just have to have a word with Severus and explain the situation. I'm user I'll be able to persuade him to postpone your detention. Yes, I'll see you three later!"

Slughorn hurried out of the Great Hall and Bryt glared after him. She liked Slughorn well enough at first, but she was beginning to hate the way he was ignoring Ron simply because he didn't think Ron was worthy of being in his Slug Club.

"He's got no chance of persuading Snape," Harry said as they started for the Gryffindor table again, "This detention's already been postponed once; Snape did it for Dumbledore, but he won't do it for anyone else."

"At least you have an excuse not to go," Bryt said, "Maybe I'll just tell Slughorn next class that I had to work on homework and that's why I didn't go..."

"Oh, I wish you would come, Bryt," Hermione said, "I really don't want to go on my own..."

"I doubt you'll be alone, Ginny'll probably be invited," Ron said bitterly. Bryt could tell he was even more unhappy than she had been about Slughorn ignoring him.

The four ate their dinner—Hermione not eating much since she'd be going to Slughorn's later and Bryt still insisting that she didn't want to go—then made their way to the Gryffindor common room. Because it was so crowded, the four were forced to sit at a broken table shoved in a corner where Ron sat down and glared at the ceiling. Hermione noticed a copy of the _Evening Prophet_ lying nearby and picked it up.

"Anything new?" Harry asked.

"Not really," Hermione said after scanning the front page, then started flipping through the ones inside, "Oh, look, your dad's in here, Ron."

Ron suddenly choked and nearly fell out of his chair, reaching to snatch the paper, but Hermione held it back.

"He's fine, don't worry!" she said and Bryt instantly felt relieved as Ron sunk back in his chair again, "It just says he's been to visit the Malfoys' house." Hermione shook out the paper again, "_'This second search of the Death Eater's residence does not seem to have yielded any results. Arthur Weasley of the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects said that his team had been acting upon a confidential tip-off.'_"

"Yeah, mine!" Harry said, straightening up in his chair, "I told him at King's Cross about Malfoy and that thing he was trying to get Borgin to fix! Well, if it's not at their house, he must have brought whatever it is to Hogwarts with him—"

"But how can he have done, Harry?" Hermione cut in, "We were all searched when we arrived, weren't we?"

"Were you? I wasn't," Harry said, confused.

"Oh no, of course _you_ weren't, I forgot you were late," Hermione replied, "Well, Filch ran over all of us with Secrecy Sensors when we got into the entrance hall. Any Dark object would have been found, I know for a fact Crabbe had a shrunken head confiscated. So you see, Malfoy can't have brought in anything dangerous!"

Harry frowned, staring off across the room, apparently thinking something over.

"Someone's sent it to him by owl, then," he said, "His mother or someone."

"Nope, they're being checked, too," Bryt said, "Sofí's gotten into this habit of wanting to annoy the checkers by going on about anything boring, like what she ate for breakfast or the exact color of whatever robe she fitted for a customer at work."

Bryt sighed, shaking her head at that. If it weren't for the fact that Sofí's letters also brought in serious news—like her letter about Astrid, the only one not to be bogged down by useless information so far—and assurances that everyone was still okay, Bryt would have started ignoring the letters. She would have thought being able to keep constant contact with Sofí again would have been nice, but now she found it very annoying. Much like the woman herself.

Harry looked over to Ron this time.

"Can you think of any way Malfoy—"

"Oh, drop it, Harry," Ron snapped.

"Listen, it's not my fault Slughorn invited Hermione, Bryt, and me to his stupid party, none of us want to go, you know!"

"Well, as I'm not invited to any parties, I think I'll go to bed."

Ron pushed himself to his feet hard enough that he knocked the chair backwards. Bryt got to her feet, calling after Ron, but he had already disappeared up the stairs. Bryt groaned and dropped down into her chair again as Demelza came over.

"Harry? I got a message for you," she said.

"From Professor Slughorn?"

"No, from Professor Snape. He says you're to come to his office at half past eight tonight to do your detention—er—no matter how many party invitations you've received. And he wanted you to know you'll be sorting out rotton flobberworms for good ones, to use in Potions and—and he says there's no need to bring protective gloves."

"Right. Thanks a lot, Demelza."

The girl nodded, heading off across the room and left Bryt, Harry, and Hermione to sit in silence. When it got close to eight, Hermione insisted that she and Bryt get going, though it still took quite a bit of convincing before Bryt finally agreed to go to Slughorn's party.

The two were greeted quite enthusiastically by Slughorn, who pointed out all the students at his table—Bryt was surprised and quite happy to see Megan sitting among them—then ushered them to seats. Again, Bryt was relieved to see Slughorn was putting them next to Megan rather than near Zabini—though Bryt felt sorry for Ginny, as she was between the Slytherin and McLaggen on the other side of the table, looking quite like she wanted to slam either of their faces down into their plates at the moment.

"Bryt! It's great to see you here! I figured Professor Slughorn would choose you, you're just brilliant with magical creatures. I learn just as much with what you know as with Hagrid—"

"Oho, so it's not just Potions you excel in?" Slughorn cut Megan off with a delighted grin at Bryt. Bryt forced herself to smile back.

"Yeah, I plan to go into MCRS," Bryt said, picking up her fork and pushing around the chicken on her plate. Slughorn looked as if he might say something, but then his attention was drawn to McLaggen at his side and Bryt felt relieved, turning to Megan.

"So, why're you here?" she asked in a whisper, hoping to avoid Slughorn's attention for as long as possible.

"My aunt's Gwenog Jones, you know, of the Holyhead Harpies?" Megan said and Bryt stared, impressed, but before she could say anything, Megan went on, "Dad and I don't actually get along with her too well, see my Aunt Gwenog is quite full of herself. Ego bigger than this school." Megan rolled her eyes. "But Dad says I need to make nice with Professor Slughorn, that it can do wonders for my career. Probably help my chances of getting my book published whenever I finish writing it—I was actually surprised that Professor Slughorn thought the idea was quite good. I figured once he learned about that, he'd consider me a lost cause or something. So either he does like it, or he figures my connection to my aunt is worth keeping me around. Anyway, even though I don't get on well with her, I pretend to."

"I guess that makes sense," Bryt said with a weak grin. She didn't think she'd lie about getting along with some family member to stay in Slughorn's club, but if a white lie eventually helped Megan with her book, Bryt didn't think it could be that bad of a problem.

Bryt and Hermione spent the next hour politely answering Slughorn's questions and pretending to listen to the others' bragging on their accomplishments and families. By the end of it, Bryt had an even bigger hatred for Zabini and McLaggen and had gained no new friends. At least Megan and Ginny had been there. Bryt had just hoped that Ginny had been able to sit with them instead of on the other side of the table.

"Well, that wasn't so bad," Hermione said as she, Bryt, and Ginny started up the stairs and Megan disappeared down into a dungeon corridor that Bryt knew led towards the kitchen and Hufflepuff common room.

"Speak for yourself," Bryt and Ginny said together and Hermione made a face, but didn't say anything else as they continued to their own common room. Bryt just hoped she could find some excuse not to go to these little dinner parties in the future.


	16. Hogsmeade

Luckily for Bryt, she had the perfect excuse to avoid Slughorn's dinners over the next few weeks. Harry had wanted out of the dinners himself, so every time he found out one was coming, he would schedule Quidditch practice for the same afternoon. Bryt thought this was great as it also kept Ron in a good mood and Ginny seemed quite happy to avoid the dinners as well. Bryt felt sorry for Hermione and Megan, however, since they didn't have any excuse not to go. Though Bryt couldn't help but be amused at imagining Hermione trying to deal with Megan's rambling nature.

On another note, Bryt saw that the red-haired girl she noticed at the beginning of the year, Emma, was spending more and more time around Mike and his friends. In fact, while Bryt and Hermione were eating breakfast the morning of the first Hogsmeade visit, Bryt learned that Mike and Emma were heading out on a double date with Natalie and Jimmy. Bryt had wished them luck, but frowned once they headed off for the Great Hall doors to get a head start. Bryt had half-wanted to show her brothers around Hogsmeade herself, be with them on their first trip. Since Drew had already headed off with his group of friends, Bryt wasn't going to have that chance. Probably for the best considering Julio, Sofí, and Astrid would be there.

Then there was the fact that it was over a month, but Bryt still hadn't gotten herself used to the idea of her brothers dating. Well, more just Mike dating. Drew had only just now gotten to the point that he wouldn't hide behind the nearest person or object if Nell so much as looked his way. From what Bryt gathered, he still hadn't even talked to Nell, but at least he would now smile back at her or give a passing hello. Megan had told Bryt during one Care of Magical Creatures class that it was about time that had happened because before then, Nell had been afraid that Drew hated her for some reason.

"Bryt, did you forget you had your first date at thirteen?" Hermione asked, giving Bryt a look she usually reserved to Ron's behavior when Ginny's dating life was brought up. Bryt just realized she had still been staring off after the door.

"You don't have siblings, 'mione," Bryt replied, "This has nothing to do with me not wanting them to date. It's just...weird. They're my little brothers, after all."

"Julio never had problems with Sofí dating."

"Yeah, well, Julio and Sofí are just a year apart. They're so close in age, it isn't a big deal. Mike and Drew are three years younger than me. It's not much now, but it was a lot a growing up. I helped Mike and Drew with so much. Learning to ride their bikes, helping them with homework, I even helped teach them how to swim! Not to mention helping them their first year here...It's just weird, okay?"

Hermione looked as if she were about to reply, but Harry and Ron came in the Great Hall and Ron came hurrying over to them, looking in a very good mood.

"You should have seen the wake-up call Harry gave me this morning," Ron said brightly as he sat down next to Bryt, "One minute, I'm nice and comfortable, sleeping in my bed, right? Then there was this flash of light, and the next thing I know, I'm awake and hanging upside down over my bed!"

Bryt snorted at the mental image, wishing she'd been there to see it, though she doubted Dean, Neville, and Seamus would be too accepting of Bryt being up in their dormitory.

"Harry got the counterjinx and then there was another flash of light and I landed on the bed again!" Ron finished, a grin on his face that rivaled when he made the Quidditch team as he took a sausage off Bryt's plate—they had developed a habit of nicking food from each other back in their first year and it had only gotten worse when they started dating.

"That had to be an interesting sight," Bryt said with a laugh, "Or at least a good practical joke."

Hermione, however, didn't look nearly as amused by the story as Bryt had. She was frowning, her gaze set on Harry.

"Was this spell, by any chance, another one from that potion book of yours?" she asked.

"Always jump to the worst conclusion, don't you?" Harry asked, frowning back at her.

"Was it?"

"Well...yeah, it was, but so what?"

"So you just decided to try an unknown, handwritten incantation and see what would happen?"

"It was just a prank, Hermione," Bryt said, "No one got hurt. Even Ron thought it was funny, and he was the one hanging in the air."

"Dangling people upside down by the ankle?" Hermione shot back, "Who puts their time and energy into making up spells like that?"

"Fred and George," Bryt and Ron answered together.

"It's their kind of thing," Ron went on.

"Sofí'd love that spell, too," Bryt added.

"And my dad," Harry said. Bryt, Ron, and Hermione all stared at him, "My dad used the spell. Lupin told me."

"Maybe your dad did use it, Harry, but he's not the only one," Hermione said gravely, "We've seen a whole bunch of people use it, in case you've forgotten. Dangling people in the air. Making them float along, asleep, helpless."

A sick feeling set in the center of Bryt's stomach, ruining her appetite. Instantly, the images flooded back from that night at the Quidditch World Cup—seeing that family floating in the air, how terrified the family was and how the Death Eaters were laughing...Bryt closed her eyes, trying to shake off the images.

"That was different," Ron said, his pale face showing that he was thinking of the same thing, "They were abusing it. Harry and his dad were just having a laugh. You don't like the Prince, Hermione, because he's better than you at Potions—"

"It's got nothing to do with that!" Hermione cut in, her face going red, "Bryt's better than me at Potions but I don't hate _her_!"

Bryt stared at Hermione in surprise. Sure, she knew that her Potions skill was just as good at Hermione's, sometimes maybe slightly better, but hearing Hermione openly admit she thought Bryt was better at the subject was a bit of a shock.

"I just think it's very irresponsible to start performing spells when you don't even know what they're for," Hermione went on without pausing, "And stop talking about 'the Prince' as if it's his title, I bet it's just a stupid nickname, and it doesn't seem as though he was a very nice person to me!"

"I don't see where you get that from," Harry said sharply, "If he'd been a budding Death Eater, he wouldn't have been boasting about being 'half-blood', would he?"

"The Death Eaters can't all be pureblood. There aren't enough pureblood wizards left," Hermione said, "I expect most of them are half-bloods pretending to be pure. It's only Muggleborns they hate, they'd be quite happy to let you and Ron join up."

Bryt laughed as Ron choked on his sausage.

"There's no way they'd let me be a Death Eater!" Ron said, "My whole family are blood traitors! That's as bad as Muggleborns to Death Eaters!"

"And they'd love to have me," Harry said sarcastically, "We'd be best pals if they didn't keep trying to do me in."

Bryt and Ron laughed and Hermione looked as if she were fighting a smile at that. A sudden thought hit Bryt and she was about to ask what the Death Eaters would think if they found out that Voldemort's father had been a Muggle, and that he grew up in the Muggle world, but Ginny had come over to them before she could.

"Hey, Harry, I'm supposed to give you this," she said, holding out a small scroll. Bryt had a good feeling what it would be.

"Thanks, Ginny," Harry said, opening the parchment and reading over it quickly, "It's Dumbledore's next lesson! Monday evening!" Harry turned to Ginny, grinning, "Want to join us in Hogsmeade, Ginny? Bryt's friends, Sofí and Julio, are going to be there."

"I'm going with Dean," Ginny said and Bryt noticed Ron's eyes narrowed at that, "Might see you there."

Ginny headed off and for a second, Bryt thought about telling Ron to stop getting worked up about Ginny dating, but stopped herself when she remembered her own situation with Mike. True, they were different—after all, Bryt didn't want Mike to not date. She just thought the situation was weird. But Ron probably wouldn't see it that way.

**xxxxx**

The sky outside was clear, but the wind left the day far colder than it would have been normally. Bryt stayed doubled-over, simultaneously trying to hug her cloak and scarf against her and grip Ron's arm for support as they traveled down the familiar path to Hogsmeade. As they got closer to the village, Bryt instantly knew the three figures in the distance, standing huddled together, were Julio, Sofí, and Astrid. After all, they were the only people who seemed to be willing to stay outside and Sofí had written that they'd meet Bryt and the others at the edge of town.

It had been over two years, but Bryt still recognized Astrid's long, narrow face beneath the hood of her cloak and her glasses that seemed too large for her face. She smiled at Bryt and her friends as they approached and Hermione hurried over to give Julio a hug.

"Guys, this is Astrid Knull, one of Sofí's friends from Salem," Bryt said, then turned to Astrid, "And I've told you about Harry and Ron. I'm sure Sofí and Julio have too."

"It's nice to meet you," Harry said, though Ron looked a bit cautious and almost fearful. He obviously remembered Bryt describing Astrid as hyperactive and a bit over-affectionate, but the Astrid in front of Bryt now seemed different. Though she still had the strange Victorian-Hippie cross in fashion sense, the same natural afro hair, her smile didn't seem as bright. She looked tired and had a same shadow across her face that Bryt remembered her parents having after her grandparents' deaths. Bryt guessed it had to do with Astrid's choice to come live with Julio and Sofí.

"I've heard a lot about you," Astrid said, shaking Harry's hand—Bryt was relieved she wasn't making such a big deal about Harry. Of course, she'd probably heard enough stories about him through Sofí that the marvel of Harry being a celebrity had worn off.

"Can we get out of the cold?" Ron asked, pointing down the street. Bryt followed his gaze, frowning when she noticed Zonko's was boarded up. Then she noticed Honeydukes was still open. Getting Ron's meaning, the group made their way to the sweet shop and hurried inside.

"Thank God," Ron muttered, "Let's stay here all afternoon."

"I'm fine with that," Bryt said. A second later, she suddenly wished they were back out in the cold because Slughorn suddenly started over towards them from the other side of the shop.

"Harry, Miss Watkins, that's three of my little suppers you've missed now!" Slughorn said, "It won't do, I'm determined to have you! Miss Granger loves them, don't you?"

Bryt made a face. She knew perfectly well why Slughorn wanted Harry around—he was supposedly 'The Chosen One', after all. But what was his fascination with Bryt? All she had was a talent for Potions and an interest in magical creatures.

"So why don't you two come along?" Slughorn went on before Hermione could answer. Bryt fought hard not to roll her eyes, though she noticed Julio elbow Sofí and she glared at him. Apparently, he was trying to keep her from saying something—probably a good thing with Slughorn.

"Well, we've had Quidditch practice, Professor," Harry said.

"Well, I certainly expect you to win your first match after all this hard work! But a little recreation never hurt anybody. Now, how about Monday night, you can't possibly want to practice in this weather..."

"I can't, Professor, I've got—er—an appointment with Professor Dumbledore that evening."

"Unlucky again!" Slughorn said dramatically, then seemed as he was about to leave, but he suddenly noticed Julio, Sofí, and Astrid, "Oh ho, who are your friends? I haven't seen you around the castle."

"They're friends of mine from America," Bryt said, introducing the three in turn. Slughorn's eyes lit up when he heard Julio's name and he turned towards Hermione.

"This is the bright young man you told me about at our last supper?" he asked and Hermione's face went a bright red, looking uncomfortable. Sofí got one of her trademark smirks on her face, but Astrid suddenly said something about checking out a nearby sweet, excused herself, and grabbed Sofí by the arm, dragging her off through the crowd. Bryt thought it was a miracle that Sofí'd manage that long staying quiet—maybe working at Madam Malkin's was teaching her when she needed to keep her mouth shut.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, young man!" Slughorn said brightly, taking Julio's hand in his, "I've heard so much about you from this lovely young lady."

"Um...thanks," Julio said awkwardly, obviously unsure of how to take the attention. He glanced towards Hermione, who looked as if she desperately wished she could disappear at the moment. If Bryt wasn't so annoyed with Slughorn, she would have found the situation funny. Instead, she was still fuming over the fact that he, once again, was acting as if Ron wasn't even there—something Ron seemed very annoyed by as well.

"I wish I could stay to chat," Slughorn said, "But I really must be going. Again, it was such a pleasure to meet you, Mr. García. Maybe we'll have a chance to talk again."

Julio gave a polite smile, but looked as if he didn't like the idea of being around Slughorn much. Slughorn, again, mentioned he was determined to get Harry and Bryt into one of his suppers, then headed out the door. Barely seconds later, Astrid and Sofí returned.

"Charming man," Astrid said sourly.

"He's annoying," Bryt said, glaring at the door.

"Hey, Bryt, I saw Drew over there with a couple other boys," Sofí said, motioning over her shoulder. Glad for a subject change, Bryt looked through the crowd and saw Drew and his two friends, Kevin and Owen, at a display of cockroach clusters, though Bryt couldn't imagine what they'd want with those.

"Yeah, it's Drew and Mike's first time to get to visit Hogsmeade," Bryt said, "They wanted to explore it with their friends."

Bryt didn't want to deal with Sofí's teasing if she mentioned Mike was actually here on his first date. Unfortunately, Sofí seemed to already know.

"Yeah, I saw how close Mike was with one of the girls he was walkin' with when he passed us earlier," she said with a smirk, "Had her gigglin' and blushin'. Pretty close for friends."

"Drop it, Sofí," Bryt snapped, turning away to study to nearby display of sugar quills, trying to push away the thought of her little brother becoming a budding Romeo. She told herself that as long as he kept himself to one girl like he promised, she wouldn't have a problem. For now, she just wanted to enjoy her Hogsmeade visit the best she could.


	17. In the Three Broomsticks

After exploring Honeydukes a while longer—and buying a bunch of sweets—the group decided to head to the Three Broomsticks next. It wasn't like they had much choice, however. Aside from a few shops, most of Hogsmeade seemed to be boarded up. It reminded Bryt of Diagon Alley and Bryt found herself thinking that if it weren't for getting to see Julio and Sofí again, she probably would have headed back to the castle already.

Once they were out in the cold, Bryt once again moved close to Ron as they walked. It helped cut against the wind slightly, and was a bit warmer feeling his body heat next to her. Bryt glanced towards Hermione and Julio and noticed that Julio had actually wrapped part of his cloak around Hermione, his arm held tightly around her shoulder as they walked.

As the got closer to the Three Broomsticks, Bryt noticed two people standing huddled near the door—something strange considering no one seemed willing to stay outside. Bryt thought she recognized the taller man—who was hurrying off down the street now—as the barman from the Hog's Head. She didn't get to get a good look at him, however, for Harry had suddenly stepped forward towards the shorter man.

"Mundungus!"

Bryt groaned when she realized Harry was right. She had never liked Mundungus Fletcher much. Mainly because the man was a thief and spent most of his time at Grimmauld Place the year before trying to find ways to steal half the manor to sell on the black market.

It seemed Mundungus had been on another thieving spree because when he noticed Harry, he dropped a briefcase he had been carrying, scattering the contents all over the street.

"Oh, 'ello, 'Arry," Mundungus said, trying to get the scattered items back in the suitcase, "Well, don't let me keep ya."

"Are you selling this stuff?" Harry asked and Bryt rolled her eyes, then noticed one of the plates on the ground. The engraving on the front looked very familiar...Bryt had definitely cleaned enough of them the year before to know.

"Hey, ain't that the Black family crest?" Sofí asked, picking up a goblet.

Before Mundungus could reply, Harry had moved fast, pinning Mundungus to the wall of the Three Broomsticks and pulling out his wand, aiming it at Mundungus's throat.

"What're you doing?" Bryt asked, horrified. She didn't like the idea of Mundungus stealing from Grimmauld Place, but that was no excuse to try and attack the man in the middle of the street. Bryt looked around, hoping no one spotted them.

"You took those from Sirius's house," Harry said sharply, "Sofí's right. That has the Black family crest on it."

"I—no—what—"

"What did you do, go back the night he died and strip the place?" Harry hissed and Bryt gripped Ron's arm tighter as she noticed Mundungus's face was turning slightly purple.

"Harry, you're choking him!" Bryt said in panic. She didn't like Mundungus or the idea of him stealing Sirius's things from his home, but she still didn't want Mundungus choked to death in the middle of a street in Hogsmeade.

Before Harry could respond, there was a loud bang and Harry stumbled backwards. Mundungus took the opportunity to snatch his suitcase and Apparate away—something that Harry was very unhappy with.

"COME BACK, YOU THIEVING—"

"There's no point, Harry."

Bryt spun around to see a tired-looking woman nearby with a heart-shaped face and mousey-brown hair lying wet against her face. It took Bryt a while to realize that it was Tonks and all Bryt could do was stare. She knew from Emily that Tonks had been having trouble with her metamorphosis, but it was still strange seeing Tonks looking so...normal. She knew this was how Tonks really looked, but at the same time, for Bryt, Tonks was the woman with short, bubblegum-pink hair and would change the shape of her nose to entertain others. This Tonks just didn't look right.

"Mundungus will probably be in London by now," Tonks went on, "There's no point yelling."

"He's nicked Sirius's stuff! Nicked it!"

"Yes, but still," Tonks frowned a moment, "You should get in out of the cold."

Tonks ushered them inside, but didn't come in herself. The second the door shut, Harry spun around on them.

"_He was nicking Sirius's stuff!_" Harry hissed.

"I know, Harry, but please don't shout, people are staring," Hermione whispered, "Go and sit down, I'll get you a drink."

"I'll come with yah," Julio said quickly and Bryt wasn't too sure if it was just to get away from Harry's fuming or wanting to spend more time with Hermione. Bryt followed the others to a table big enough for all of them and sat down. She noticed Sofí looked bored and Astrid looked very uncomfortable, as if she felt she had just walked in on some private conversation and shouldn't be around for it. Bryt fidgeted in her chair next to Ron, glancing around the pub. She noticed Mike in a booth nearby, with his back to her and sitting quite close with Emma next to him—Natalie and Jimmy were in the booth across the table and though they weren't sitting as close together, they still seemed to be enjoying themselves.

_'Well, at least someone's enjoying their visit,'_ Bryt thought. Though she still felt weird about her brother dating, she was at least glad that he seemed to be enjoying his first date and his first trip to Hogsmeade, despite the weather and closed stores.

Hermione and Julio returned a couple of minutes later, passing out the butterbeers, but Harry was in no better mood.

"Can't the Order control Mundungus?" Harry snapped, "Can't they at least stop him stealing everything that's not fixed down when he's at headquarters?"

"Shh!" Hermione hissed, looking around. Bryt noticed Astrid looked very confused and suddenly got a sinking feeling. It seemed Sofí had never told Astrid about the Order of the Phoenix. She found it surprising. Astrid and Sofí were apparently very close friends. For Astrid not to know about it, it made Bryt realize for the first time just how trustworthy the blabbermouth, never-takes-anything-seriously Sofí García could be. If she wouldn't even tell a best friend, she wasn't going to tell anyone.

"Harry, I'd be annoyed too," Hermione went on, though she didn't seem to notice Astrid's confused look, "I know it's your things he's stealing—"

Harry suddenly choked on his butterbeer, sitting up straight in his chair. Apparently he had forgotten that Sirius left him everything in his will.

"Yeah, it's my stuff!" Harry said a little too loudly, "No wonder he wasn't pleased to see me! Well, I'm going to tell Dumbledore what's going on, he's the only one who scares Mundungus."

"Good idea," Hermione said quietly.

"Well, now that that awkwardness is over with," Sofí said dramatically—Bryt and Julio both glared at her. Sofí grinned at them but seemed to take the hint and didn't say anything else.

They tried to fill the silence with chat about Hogwarts—Astrid was pretty interested in the castle and how the school was different than Salem.

"Salem doesn't really have a village like this," Astrid said, motioning around her, "There is a shopping district a few miles away but only seventh years are allowed to go, and even then only once a semester. We get to Apparate there and spend the entire day. Miss classes and everything," Astrid suddenly frowned. "The first visit for my year is supposed to be next month..."

Once again, the conversation got awkwardly silent. Bryt was curious about why Astrid chose to drop out instead of stick through the rest of her year, but didn't want to ask in front of Harry and Ron—after all, neither of them knew about Astrid's sexuality. In fact, Bryt didn't even know if Astrid knew about Bryt and Hermione knowing. Sofí had been a bit upset when Bryt and Hermione guessed it and didn't want them to tell her.

"I think I'm going back to the castle," Harry suddenly said, putting down an empty bottle of butterbeer as he stood up and looked around, "You coming?"

Ron nodded and stood up, but Bryt frowned and Hermione looked at Julio, obviously wanting to stay. It suddenly hit Bryt that, despite the fact that they were in a big group, this was the first time Hermione and Julio were able to do anything remotely similar to a date in over two years.

"I think Hermione and I'll stay a bit longer," Bryt said, though she stood up herself, "I'd like to catch up a little with Astrid. We'll meet you back at school, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Ron said, though he looked a bit disappointed. Bryt grinned at him and leaned up on her toes, giving him a quick kiss before he and Harry left, and Bryt sat back down.

"Ron's a good guy," Astrid said, staring after the two boys, "His dad talks about him sometimes at work. Him and all the kids."

"You know Mr. Weasley?" Hermione asked, surprised.

"Yeah, when Emily was gettin' Astrid pass into the country," Julio said, "She found out 'bout Astrid's knack for dealin' with curses and cursed objects. Not long after Astrid moved in, she got offered a job workin' for Ron's dad."

"It's not Bureau of Defense but it's still good work," Astrid said with a shrug, "Busy."

"Why didn't you stay in America, anyway?" Bryt asked, the question coming out before she even thought about it, then she rushed on before she could back out, "I mean, Sofí said you really wanted to join the Bureau of Defense. You were in your last year. Why not stick it out and move on?"

Astrid frowned, staring at Bryt with an odd look. Sofí sighed.

"They know, Astrid," she said, then on Astrid's look of horror, "Well, not the whole story y'told me, but they know 'bout you. They guessed it when they were vistin' a couple of years ago."

Astrid sighed at that, staring down at her butterbeer bottle.

"Oh, we didn't tell anyone," Hermione said quickly, trying to assure Astrid, "Not even Harry and Ron know."

"And if you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to," Bryt said, shifting awkwardly in her seat—she didn't realize how uncomfortable she'd just made Astrid, "I mean, I was just curious, but this is your business."

Astrid was quiet for a second, then sighed and looked up.

"It's okay. Sofí and Julio trust you, that's good enough for me," Astrid gave a weak grin, then leaned forward a bit, dropping her voice, "Truthfully, after I was found out, I was going to stick it through the year. It was only a few months, after all. Sandra—you remember her? Sandra Jonner? Well, she and Dante were standing by me, but they were in different dorms and Sandra in a different year. It made it hard when I was on my own."

Astrid frowned at that and Sofí gripped her butterbeer bottle. It was rare for Sofí to be angry—in fact, Bryt had only seen her angry once in her entire life—but this was something Bryt couldn't blame her for being angry over. Bryt couldn't imagine what Sofí was thinking. After all, Astrid and Sofí had not only been in the same year, but in the same dorm. They were actually roommates. Astrid seemed to guess what Sofí was thinking because she started grinning again.

"You being there wouldn't have changed anything, 'fí," she said, "I would have left either way. It wasn't the alienation at school that did it. It was my parents. I told you that before. How many more times do I have to?"

"Your parents?" Bryt asked, confused, "They wanted you to leave school?"

"More like were going to force me to leave," Astrid said with a sarcastic laugh, "I got a letter from them, telling me that 'they were going to withdraw me for my own good'. They were going to commit me to Drescher Clinic. Most likely so I wouldn't ruin the family image. Well, more than I had, considering word's probably already spread around."

Bryt cursed loud enough that people at a nearby table turned to stare. What kind of family would force their daughter into a hospital for the rest of her life just for being who she was? Bryt had never met Mr. and Mrs. Knull, but she had a strong feeling she wouldn't like them.

"So I decided to move out this way," Astrid said, "And now I work for the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects."

"I have no idea how y'ever remember that," Sofí said.

"Just talented that way," Astrid said as she grinned, though a slight mischievous glint suddenly showed for a moment. For the first time, Bryt saw a hint of the old Astrid she'd met the summer before her fourth year.

"I can't believe anyone would do anything like that," Hermione said, shaking her head, "Let alone your own parents."

"Some old pureblood families are stuck in their ways," Julio said with a sigh—Bryt blinked at him, not for what he said, but for the fact that she was starting to hear traces of a British accent with him. He'd only lived in London four months yet the accent was already starting to rub off on him. Much faster than it had Sofí, who still sounded just as Southern American as she had growing up.

"Yeah, someone like me is worse than a Muggleborn," Astrid said, "At least with a Muggleborn, more magic is coming in, no matter how disgraceful or 'dirty' it is. With me, well, it's obvious I'm the type who isn't planning to have kids the natural way. The bloodline ends with me."

"I think you're fine the way you are," Bryt said. Sofí suddenly grinned and held up her butterbeer.

"I say a toast is in order," she said, "Here's t'us. The disgrace in th'eyes of the worst purebloods have t'offer!"

Astrid laughed, raising her butterbeer with a loud "Hear, hear!" Bryt grinned and did the same, quickly followed by Julio and Hermione. As Bryt leaned back, taking a long sip of her butterbeer, she found herself thinking that the day hadn't exactly been the best. After all, they ran into Slughorn, had to deal with Mundungus's stealing, and then had Astrid's story of why she came to England. But at the end of the day, she was around friends, with a group that most definitely accepted each other for who they were. Astrid may no longer have her parents, but Bryt was sure that the woman had a more worthy family sitting with her at the table right now.


	18. News

The five of them stayed at the Three Broomsticks, talking until Hermione reluctantly said that she and Bryt needed to get back to Hogwarts. Julio, Sofí, and Astrid decided to walk with them up the path to the school gates. Bryt huddled her cloak around her against the wind as they made their way along the trail and, as she saw Hermione and Julio ahead, found herself wishing Ron was there so she could have his body heat next to her.

"Wow, Sofí showed me a picture once, but the castle is amazing in person," Astrid said, staring through the gates at Hogwarts, "Salem is just a bunch of buildings grouped together."

"I think I prefer the buildings, you can' get lost in 'em," Sofí said, staring at the school with an odd expression—Bryt couldn't help but notice it was the same far-off look she had on her face the afternoon she had gotten angry at Grimmauld Place. The look was gone quickly, though, as Sofí turned back to Bryt.

"So, we'll see y'two at Christmas?" Sofí asked with a grin.

"I don't know what my family has planned this year," Hermione said a bit guiltily, "Besides, I haven't spent the past four Christmases with them. I think I should go home this year."

"I'll be home this year," Bryt said, "I'll see you over the holidays. It was great to see you again, Astrid."

"Same here," Astrid replied with a grin.

Hermione took a bit longer to say goodbye to Julio before she and Bryt made their way through the castle gates and started across the grounds. Once in the castle, Bryt and Hermione decided to head upstairs to see if Harry and Ron were in the common room.

When Bryt and Hermione got to their destination, they noticed Harry and Ron in the best chairs by the fire. Bryt made her way over, plopping down next to Ron on the couch, but could instantly tell by the boys' faces that something had happened.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked, obviously sensing the same trouble Bryt did.

"Katie's been cursed," Harry said. Bryt sat up straighter on the couch.

"What? Katie Bell?" she asked, then when Harry and Ron nodded, "What happened?"

"We're not completely sure," Ron said, "But it seems she was Imperiused and whoever did it wanted her to take a cursed necklace to someone here in the castle. There was a hole in her glove and she ended up touching the necklace briefly."

"She got lucky," Harry added, "Professor McGonagall said she could have died."

Bryt stared at them, horrified. To think while they were at Hogsmeade, drinking butterbeer and enjoying Honeydukes, one of their friends was forced to deliver something that could kill someone. Fear rushed through Bryt when she realized how close things came. They knew Katie Bell, they were friends with her. This effecting someone so close to them made Bryt realize it could have been anyone—Parvati or Lavender, Dean, Seamus, or Neville...Even Ginny, or one of Bryt's brothers or their friends. Bryt closed her eyes and shook her head fast. That was not a thought she wanted in her head.

"Who could have done this?" Hermione asked. Harry opened his mouth to answer, but Ron beat him to the punch.

"Harry, Professor McGonagall said that Malfoy was in detention, it couldn't have been him," he said sharply. Bryt could tell that Harry was back on his 'Malfoy-is-a-Death-Eater' theory. She couldn't help but wonder if Harry realized how ridiculous the idea was. He needed to just give up on it already.

"He must have used an accomplice then," Harry said, obviously determined to do the exact opposite, "Crabbe or Goyle—or, come to think of it, another Death Eater, he'll have loads better cronies that Crabbe and Goyle now he's joined up—"

"Are you even listening to yourself?" Bryt asked with a sigh. Harry glared at her.

"It wasn't a very slick attack, really, when you stop to think about it," Ron said quickly, obviously not wanting an argument to start, "The curse didn't even make it into the castle. Not what you'd call foolproof."

"Not to mention Filch would have caught the item before Katie could have taken it to whoever the target was," Bryt added, "It's like the person didn't think things through at all."

"But since when has Malfoy been one of the world's greatest thinkers?"

Bryt rolled her eyes, leaning back against Ron. She wanted to argue the point, but she knew better with Harry. It would be like arguing with a brick wall. A very stubborn one.

**xxxxx**

By the next morning, Bryt found out that Katie had been taken to St. Mungo's and people kept coming to Harry and Ron, wanting the full story of what had happened. They kept repeating that they just saw Katie get cursed by the necklace, but they didn't know any more than anyone else—Bryt was relieved that Harry was keeping quiet about his ridiculous theory that Malfoy was behind it.

Bryt was glad to get back into classes on Monday, though she spent Care of Magical Creatures listening to Megan complain about the fact that her aunt would be visiting for Slughorn's party that night—Bryt made a mental note that there was no way she was going then. When Monday afternoon came and Harry left for his appointment with Dumbledore, Hermione stood up as well and looked at Bryt.

"We should get going," she said.

"Can't," Bryt said simply, motioning to her open book and parchment next to her, "I really need to get my Care of Magical Creatures homework done. I've let it fall a bit behind."

Hermione stood there for a moment, but finally seemed to decide homework was more important than Hermione not going to the dinner party by herself, for she sighed and left the room. The second Hermione went through the porthole, Bryt closed her book and turned to Ron.

"Wizard's Chess?" she asked, then when Ron gave her a strange look, "I just told Hermione I had homework so she wouldn't drag me along. I hate those dinners. C'mon, I'm in the mood for a game and I need all the practice I can get."

Ron didn't need telling twice and soon Bryt and Ron were sitting across from each other on the floor by the fire, enjoying their game of Wizard's Chess. Bryt knew she'd do bad—especially against Ron—so she wasn't surprised when barely half an hour passed and Ron had already beaten her twice. Still, the two were having fun so they reset the board for another round.

Halfway through the game, Bryt glanced up while trying to decide on a move. Her gaze drifted over to one of the tables in the corner where she noticed Mike's group—which now almost always included Emma. Bryt had learned that the Hogsmeade trip had gone very well for the group and now Mike and Emma were officially a couple. Apparently Natalie and Jimmy had had fun as well and still spent a lot of time together, but they had decided they'd rather be friends. Though the way Natalie kept bumping her arm against Jimmy's and the way he'd blush and she'd smirk at him, Bryt wondered if that was something that'd stick through.

"Going to move anytime today?"

Bryt turned back to Ron, who was smirking at her. Bryt grinned back.

"Sorry, I got distracted," she said, making a move without really studying the board and immediately lost a pawn because of it, "I just can't really get over the fact my little brother has a girlfriend."

"Mike's dating?" Ron asked, confused. Bryt motioned to where her brother and his friends were.

"They had a date at the Hogsmeade visit," Bryt said, "And it's not so much that he's dating. I think I'll be able to deal with that eventually, It's just..."

"Yeah, I get it," Ron said, his tone suddenly darkening some. Bryt was surprised until she noticed him glaring across the room. When she followed his gaze, she noticed Dean and Seamus sitting together, playing Exploding Snap. Bryt suddenly realized that maybe she was being a bit stupid not wanting to talk about her little siblings dating around Ron. She had thought that Ron just didn't like the fact Ginny was dating, but now Bryt wondered if it was something else. She remembered how Ron had never been angry or hostile towards Hermione dating Julio, or the fact Cho and Harry had dated. The only times he's had an issue with someone else was when Bryt dated Terry in third year and with Ginny dating. It didn't take Bryt long to realize why. After all, Ron knew Julio—or at least enough about him from Bryt—to know that he was a good guy and Harry was, well, Harry. A guy. Bryt dating Terry, however, was a situation where Ron knew very little about the Ravenclaw other than he was in their year. And Ginny was Ron's younger sister.

"Ginny can handle herself, you know," she said, moving one of her knights, "And I doubt Dean'll do anything. We know him better than that."

Ron made a disbelieving noise but didn't say anything, which Bryt took as a good sign. The simple fact that Ron wasn't arguing the issue spoke volumes with Ron. Bryt still felt Ron might hate Dean on principle, but at least for now he was being quiet.

"And it's not really that that's bothering me," Bryt went on, "It's mostly he's _old enough_ to date. He's thirteen. The same age I was when I started dating Terry—"

"And look how well _that_ turned out," Ron said and Bryt glared. Ron always loved to bring up that he was right about Terry being a bad choice in a boyfriend for Bryt. To make matters worse, Ron also ad to bring up another bad memory of Bryt's previous relationship.

"We'll just have to hope Mike doesn't give a very public break-up in front of the entire school," he said, smirking.

"Shut up," Bryt snapped, though she wasn't as angry as she usually was. She knew Ron was just teasing, after all, "C'mon, let's get back to you beating me at chess."

Though as Bryt looked back at the board, she couldn't help but hope Ron was right. She really didn't want either of her brothers reliving the disaster she went through when it came to how her first relationship ended.

**xxxxx**

With breakfast so crowded, Harry didn't get a chance to talk to Bryt, Ron, and Hermione about his latest lesson with Dumbledore until they were walking to Herbology or their first lesson of the day.

From what Harry said, it was mostly more details on what they already knew from Riddle's diary back in their second year: Voldemort had grown up in a Muggle orphanage. Though Harry had learned more. Apparently, Voldemort's mother had simply given up on life after her husband abandoned her and died shortly after Voldemort had been born, staying alive only long enough to give him a name. Harry had seen through Dumbledore's own memory the night before, seeing the day that Dumbledore visited Voldemort when he was a child to tell him that he was a wizard. Not surprisingly, Voldemort had used his abilities to torment the other children at the orphanage.

They had just reached their table in the greenhouse when Harry finished the story and began preparing themselves for another long class of dealing with Snargaluff stumps—plants that looked like ordinary logs, but sprouted vines and attacked when someone tried to take the pods from the center, which was exactly the students had that day.

"Wow, scary thought, the boy You-Know-Who," Ron said as he was pulling on his gloves, "But I still don't get why Dumbledore's showing you all this. I mean, it's really interesting and everything, but what's the point?"

"Dunno," Harry said, "But he says it's all important and it'll help me survive."

"I think it's fascinating," Hermione said, "It makes absolute sense to know as much about Voldemort as possible. How else will you find out his weaknesses?"

"Know thy enemy, huh?" Bryt asked, adjusting her gloves and pulling on her goggles, "But I'm with Ron. The idea of Voldemort as a kid is creepy."

"So, how was Slughorn's latest party?" Harry asked, looking to Bryt and Hermione.

"Didn't go," Bryt said, about to say she was glad for it, but glanced towards Hermione, "Er...Homework."

"It was quite fun, really," Hermione said, "I mean, Slughorn drones on about the famous ex-pupils a bit, and he absolutely fawns over McLaggen because he's so well-connected, but he gave us some really nice food and he introduced us to Gwenog Jones."

"Gwenog Jones? _The_ Gwenog Jones?" Ron asked, looking similar to when he recognized Viktor Krum coming off the Durmstrang boat back in their fourth year, "Captain of the Holyhead Harpies?"

"That's right," Hermione said, making a face, "Megan was right, her aunt is a bit full of herself. Megan looked like she was being tortured having to sit and talk with her all night—"

"_Quite_ enough chat over here!" Sprout scolded as she came over, "You're lagging behind, everybody else has started, and Neville's already got his first pod!"

_'Yeah, well, Neville's a Herbology wiz,'_ Bryt thought as she glanced towards Neville, who was gripping something that looked like a large, glowing snot ball at arm length and had a bloody lip and several scratches as proof he indeed fought for that disgusting prize.

Once they assured Sprout that they were starting on their work, she headed down the table and Ron turned to Harry.

"Should've used Muffiliato," he muttered, referring to one of the spells in the Half-Blood Prince's book, a spell that sent a buzzing in the ears of people nearby and allowed them to talk without worrying about eavesdroppers.

"No, we shouldn't!" Hermione hissed. She was the only one who didn't like the spell and refused to talk whenever Harry used it, "Well, come on...we'd better get going..."

Dealing with these violent plants took all four of them working together. Ron and Bryt found themselves fighting a set of vines—one of which tried to wrap itself up Bryt's arm and squeeze uncomfortably tight until Ron pried it off her—Harry dealt with a group of vines on his own, and once they managed to fight it enough to get an opening in the center, Hermione shoved her arm down it to get the pod they were after. It took nearly five minutes, but Hermione soon had the pod and was dropping it into the pan Harry offered. Once they pulled away, the plant went back to looking like any non-magical stump.

"You know, I don't think I'll be having any of these in my garden when I've got my own place," Ron said.

"I'm having a hard time picturing you with a garden at all," Bryt replied, though her mind started drifting at the thought. She started picturing a small house, somewhere out of the way with large, open spaces like the Burrow was, enough room for kids to play pick-up games of Quidditch. At that, Bryt also began imagining a little red-haired child running around, maybe even two of them...

"Bryt? Are you listening?"

Bryt jerked her head up and felt heat rushing to her face. She hadn't realized how much she had started to daydream. She was just glad none of her friends new Occlumency. The last thing she needed was the others knowing she was thinking about a future with Ron.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" Bryt asked, trying to shake the daydream away. It was the first time she'd ever thought about it, though. She had loved Ron for years now, but she never really thought about a future. Bryt was starting to realize just how deep her feelings were beginning to run and she could feel the heat rising more to her face. Hermione was giving her an odd look now, but at least Harry and Ron hadn't seemed to notice.

"Slughorn is going to have a Christmas party," Hermione said, "And he's determined to make it a day you and Harry can come."

Bryt groaned. That was the last thing she wanted. Spending an evening before her Christmas holidays, stuck in a room with the rest of the Slug Club.

"And we are allowed to bring guests," Hermione went on, saying each word slowly and staring at Bryt as she said it. Bryt sighed, knowing what she was thinking and glanced towards Ron next to her.

"So, how about it?" she asked, "I mean, I'd rather not go at all, but if you'd like to, I guess we can."

Ron, who had been looking rather annoyed at the mention of another Slug Club party, suddenly looked thoughtful. Truthfully, Bryt was hoping he'd say forget it, that he'd rather spend the evening in the common room. But she knew he wouldn't. After all, Ron had the chance to go to one of these parties—even if it was as Bryt's date—and it was going to be his choice to go.

"Yeah, I guess it sounds interesting," Ron said with a shrug, as if he didn't really care. Bryt knew better.

Bryt grinned at Ron anyway, then turned back to their work fighting the plant in front of them. She loathed the idea of going to one of Slughorn's parties, but she could tell Ron was eager to go. It was something that was going to cheer him up. Give him the chance to be at one of Slughorn's dinners himself. Since it was what Ron wanted, Bryt was determined to go through with it. After all, with Ron with her this time, she doubted it could be that bad of a disaster.


	19. Relationship Issues

As the next couple of weeks passed, Harry became pressured to make the decision to temporarily replace Katie on the Quidditch team, as there was no word for when she would return. Harry finally went with Dean Thomas. Bryt agreed with his choice when he saw Dean in practice in the week before the first match. Dean was an excellent flier and teamed up well with Ginny and Demelza.

Unfortunately, where the rest of the team did great, Ron's nerves were starting to get the better of him again as the match approached. By the end of the first practice with Dean on the team, Ron barely saved any of the goals and at one point, accidentally gave Demelza a bloody lip when she flew in to make a different goal.

"I played like a sack of dragon dung," Ron muttered when he, Harry, and Bryt started towards the castle after practice.

"Ron, you're just nervous," Bryt said, looping her free arm around his, "You're a brilliant player. After all, you're the one who won us the Quidditch Cup last year, remember?"

Bryt thought she saw a small twitch at the corner of Ron's mouth, so she took advantage of it and kept talking about all the good Ron had done as a Quidditch player to cheer him up. It seemed to be working. At least until they were back in the castle and went to take a shortcut, only to walk in on Dean and Ginny in the middle of a snogging session in the hallway. Bryt immediately felt Ron tensing next to her.

"Oi!" he snapped, causing the two in front of them to jump and spin around on them.

"What?" Ginny snapped back.

"I don't want to find my own sister snogging people in public!"

"This was a deserted corridor till you came butting in!"

Bryt didn't know what to think. On the one hand, she agreed with Ron. It was very embarrassing to walk in on someone else snogging. No matter how empty Bryt and Ron thought a hallway was, they didn't go snogging there simply for the fact that someone _could_ walk in on them. But on the other hand, she didn't think Ron should butt into Ginny's personal life.

"Er...c'mon, Ginny," Dean said, looking embarrassed, "Let's go back to the common room."

"You go! I want a word with my dear brother!"

Dean left, seeming a little too eager to get out of the way. Bryt glanced towards Ron and Harry—Ron looking as furious as Ginny and Harry looking oddly like he wanted to break something.

"Right," Ginny said sharply, setting Ron with a glare, "Let's get this straight once and for all. It's none of your business who I got out with or what I do with them, Ron—"

"Yeah it is! D'you think I want people saying my sister's a—"

"A what?" Ginny's voice rose more, "A _what_, exactly?"

"He doesn't mean anything, Ginny—" Harry started, but that just seemed to make Ginny angrier.

"Oh yes he does! He's just being a hypocrite! He goes around snogging Bryt all the time—"

"Not where people can see us!" Ron yelled, his face red and Bryt felt her own face flush as well.

"Can we please stop yelling?" Bryt asked, trying to calm everyone down, then turned to Ginny, trying to play peacemaker, "Listen, can't you just, I don't know—"

"Of course you're going to take his side!" Ginny snapped, "Don't you remember how he acted when you dated Terry Boot?"

"That's not—"

"It's none of any of your business who I snog! And I'd thank you all to stay out of my business!"

With that, Ginny spun around and stomped off down the hallway. Bryt sighed, shaking her head. So much for trying to play peacemaker. She turned back to Harry and Ron, noticing that Ron still seemed furious. Bryt opened her mouth several times, trying to find something to say, but nothing came to mind.

'_Damn it, why am I never good at this?'_ she thought.

A second later, they saw Mrs. Norris at the end of the hallway, then hurried off because they knew Filch wouldn't be too far behind. As they got closer to the Gryffindor common room, they passed a girl who got so startled at Ron stomping past that she dropped her bottle of some potion ingredient. Bryt paused long enough to cast a quick spell to fix it for her, then hurried off to catch up with her friends again. She noticed Harry still looked on the verge of breaking something, which Bryt didn't understand. That is, unless Harry was just as angry at Ginny dating as Ron was, but Bryt didn't think that could be it. After all, he'd never cared about Ginny's romantic life before. He had never cared about the fact that Ginny was dating Michael Corner the year before. Why was he suddenly acting so angry over Ginny having a boyfriend now? If anything, Bryt would have thought Harry would be even more okay with Dean and Ginny as he knew Dean a lot better than he knew Michael. Bryt tried to push the thought from her mind as they got to the common room and decided to head on to bed.

Ron became testy all of the following week and performed very poorly on their practice the night before the game. Afterward, Ron began threatening that he would resign if they lost the next match, no matter how much Bryt and Harry tried to talk him out of it. Bryt went up to her dormitory in a sour mood that night, praying hard that Ron would be in a better mood in the morning. He was a great player. He just let his self-confidence issues get the better of him and Bryt wished she knew how to help him.

When Bryt went into the room she shared with others, she noticed Parvati and Lavender talking. Both became very quiet the second Bryt opened the door, however, and Lavender snatched up her bathrobe and a pair of pajamas before heading out of the room, most likely to go take a bath. She didn't even so much as glance at Bryt, though it wasn't in a rude way. She kept her head down as if she was trying her hardest not to make eye contact with Bryt. Bryt watched Lavender leave, her sour mood only getting worse by the constant silent treatment she was getting from someone she considered a friend.

Bryt tossed her broom down and looked at Parvati, who was suddenly busying herself with braiding her hair.

"What the hell have I done?" she asked sharply, "Why's Lavender ignoring me?"

Parvati looked uncomfortable.

"Bryt, maybe you should just leave it—"

"Don' y'dare tell me t'leave it alone," Bryt snapped, her temper flaring, "I may not agree with y'two on a lot, but yer still friends. I wanna know what I did t'piss Lavender off."

"She's not angry at you," Parvati said, straightening herself up and giving Bryt a defiant look. She didn't like Bryt snapping at her, but Bryt didn't care at the moment. She wanted to know why someone she thought was a friend was suddenly so cold towards her.

"Oh, she could've fooled me," Bryt snapped, sitting on her bed and yanking off her shoes, "What with ignorin' me and runnin' the other way anytime I get 'round her."

"She's _not_ angry at you," Parvati said again, "It's just..."

Bryt raised an eyebrow at Parvati.

"Just what?" she demanded.

"Bryt, she's my friend. I don't think—"

"Am I supposed t'just ignore that she's been avoidin' me like I'm the plague?"

Parvati sighed, staring off out the nearby window.

"You can't let her know I told you," Parvati said, though her voice sounded like it was taking everything she had to even speak at the moment. Bryt had to admit, it reminded her of how Hermione and her kept secrets for each other. It made her feel a bit guilty about making Parvati talk, but this was about Bryt. She thought she deserved to know.

"I won' say a word t'her," Bryt said, taking a deep breath to try and calm herself down.

"Okay," Parvati said slowly, then spoke quickly as if she wanted to get it out before she changed her mind, "Lavender has a crush on Ron."

"What?" Bryt asked, dumfounded. It wasn't that she didn't believe anyone would have a crush on Ron—after all, he was funny, sweet when he wanted to be, talented, and smart in his own way, especially brilliant with chess. It was the fact that Bryt had been expecting something she herself had done that had Lavender avoiding her, not something on Lavender's end.

Parvati frowned, wrapping the band around the end of her braid before pushing it over her shoulder so it fell on her back.

"She has a crush on Ron," she said again, "And you're dating him, you have been for over a year now. She knows that and you're her friend. You helped her figure out how to cast a Patronus, for Merlin's sake. She hasn't forgotten that."

"So that's why she's been avoiding me?" Bryt asked, confused. Parvati sighed, closing her eyes for a second.

"Yeah," she said, "She's been trying to ignore her crush, but it just hasn't gone that well."

Bryt sat there in silence, staring out the window. She couldn't imagine what Lavender was going through. Sure, Bryt had her trouble trying to get her feelings across to Ron a couple of years ago, but he hadn't been dating anyone, especially not a girl Bryt was friends with. Ron did have his crush on Fleur, but Bryt had thought that was more due to the woman's veela charm rather than an actual crush. It seemed a lot different than what Lavender was going through.

"I won't say anything to her," Bryt finally said, "At least I know why she's avoiding me now."

Parvati nodded, though she still looked torn about having told Bryt anything at all. Bryt appreciated it, though. Even though she knew it would just make things more awkward with her and Lavender, Bryt preferred to know what was going on. It was better than constantly wondering why one of her friends was suddenly starting to give her the silent treatment.

Bryt got changed into her pajamas as Hermione came into the room, obviously deciding she was done studying for the night. Bryt gave her the usual good night, then wrote in her journal for a bit before heading on to bed. She knew she needed a good night's sleep for the match the following day.

**xxxxx**

When Bryt woke up in the morning, Lavender and Parvati had already left, though Bryt wasn't surprised. Bryt and Hermione got ready before heading down for breakfast. As they got to the staircase, Bryt heard someone calling her and she turned around to see Mike, Natalie, and Jimmy heading down the stairs towards her. Emma wasn't with them this time, but that wasn't so rare. She was a late sleeper, apparently.

"Head on, I'll catch up," Bryt told Hermione. She nodded and headed on down the stairs and towards the Great Hall and Bryt turned back to her brother and his friends.

"Bryt, guess what!" Mike said excitedly, practically bouncing on the spot, "Professor McGonagall said yes! She's going to let me do the match commentary!"

"What?" Bryt asked, then started grinning, "Mike, that's great!"

"Yeah, it is!" Mike was still bouncing, something very odd to see from a thirteen-year-old boy. Natalie looked like she was trying very hard not to laugh and Jimmy was grinning himself, "I gotta get going, Professor McGonagall wants me there early so she can give me a bit last minute advice."

Mike hurried off and Bryt looked at her watch.

"Crap, match'll start soon," she said, looking at Jimmy, "We should grab some toast and head down to the pitch."

Jimmy nodded and Natalie wished them luck as they headed into the Great Hall, grabbed a couple of pieces of toast each, and hurried down to the field. Jimmy looked beside himself with excitement and Bryt had to admit, it was a good thing Jimmy didn't seem to be nervous about his first match. He definitely didn't lack confidence and Bryt was glad that she didn't have to try and calm any nerves. She was never good at comforting others.

When the two got to the changing room, the rest of the team was already there.

"He's ill? What's wrong with him?" Harry was asking, looking towards Ginny. Bryt gave them a confused look until Ron told her that one Slytherin player was sitting out the match due to injury and Malfoy said he couldn't play, either.

"This is great," Bryt said, grabbing her Quidditch robes, "Malfoy gone, their best Chaser gone, I got the feeling this match'll go great."

Bryt got dressed quickly and headed out to the pitch with her team. She looked towards Ron, who surprisingly was grinning and looking very sure of himself. Bryt grinned herself, feeling quite happy. It seemed Ron was finally getting his confidence back. Bryt took a deep breath, eager for the match to begin.

"Captains shake hands," Madam Hooch instructed to Harry and Urquhart, the new captain on the Slytherin team, "Mount your brooms. On my whistle...Three...Two...One..."

Bryt shot into the air with her team when the whistle sounded. Even after so long, she still loved the feeling of wind whipping around her and the sensation of her stomach dropping momentarily as she rose higher and higher. Bryt grinned, gripping her bat tightly as she immediately scanned the sky for the closest Bludger.

"And they're off!" Mike's voice came from the commentator's box, "Both teams have had to work with substitutes on their team for the match, but I'm sure it'll be a great match all the same. We're already starting with an attempted goal as...Which one is that? Oh, thanks, Professor. As Urquhart races for the goal."

Bryt swung her bat at a Bludger, smacking it into one of the Slytherin Beaters before he could try to take out Harry nearby. She glanced from the corner of her eye and saw Ron effortlessly catch the Quaffle and she let out a cheer, pumping her bat into the air.

"And Weasley saves it! A perfect display, if I say so myself. Of course, this is the guy that won Gryffindor the House Cup last year—Oh, sorry, Professor. Yes, back to the match."

Bryt couldn't help but laugh as she glanced to the commentator box and noticed McGonagall with an odd look on her face, as if she were wondering if Mike's commentaries were going to be a bit too much like Lee's before him.

The further the match went, the better everyone played. Gryffindor scored goal after goal while Ron saved just as many. Slytherin hadn't scored once, no matter how much they tried. Ron looked beside himself with glee, even starting to show off after saves and at one point was even conducting the crowd when they started playing Weasley is Our King. Bryt laughed brightly, glad Ron was doing so well and also enjoying herself as a Beater.

Mike was even getting better with his job. He would still occasionally go off on biased praise towards the Gryffindor Team—especially on how well Bryt and Jimmy worked together as Beaters—but would get back on track very quickly, even before McGonagall started scolding him at some points.

"Oh, it looks like the Slytherin Seeker's seen the Snitch!" Mike called and Bryt momentarily wondered if he had forgotten Harper's name, though she tried to put her focus on chasing down a Bludger to send Harper's way. After all, they were only leading a hundred to zero, if Harper got that Snitch before Harry, they'd lose the match, no matter how well they'd played today.

"There!" Bryt whispered, reading her bat, took a quick look towards where Harper and Harry were after the Snitch, then swung as hard as she could. She held her breath as the Bludger shot across the field towards the Seekers. Harry seemed to yell something, Harper jerked back and turned, just to have the Bludger smack him right in the shoulder and send him veering sideways. Seconds later, Harry shot by and snatched the Snitch.

"YES!" Bryt screamed, pumping her bat into the air again.

"GRYFFINDOR WINS!" Mike screamed over the roar of cheers, "The first match ends with Gryffindor absolutely clobbering Slytherin Two-fifty-to-zero! An excellent opening to Hogwarts' Quidditch season!"

Bryt landed on her broom and joined into the group hug of the Gryffindor team, then kissed Ron on the cheek as they headed to the changing room.

"You were absolutely brilliant!" Bryt said, "Not a single goal! I told you you're an amazing player!"

Once in the changing room, everyone was still ecstatic. Dean said that a party was starting soon in the common room and he left with Ginny and Demelza, Jimmy soon following as he wanted to go talk with Mike, Emma, and Natalie.

Bryt looped her arm through Ron's, still feeling as if she'd drank too much butterbeer as they started to leave with her friends as Hermione came in, her hat gripped in her hands. Bryt raised an eyebrow at her, wondering why she looked so nervous when Gryffindor had won.

"I want a word with you, Harry," she said, "You shouldn't have done it. You heard Slughorn, it's illegal."

"What are you talking about?" Bryt asked, confused, looking between her friends.

"You spiked Ron's juice with lucky potion at breakfast!" Hermione said, glaring at Harry, "That's why there were Slytherin players missing. That's why Ron saved everything!"

Bryt tensed, glaring at Hermione. Ron didn't need some potion to be able to play well. If she thought Ron was that lousy of a player...

"I didn't put it in," Harry said, holding up his vial of Felix Felicis, which was still sealed, looking towards Ron, "I wanted you to think I'd done it, so I faked it when Hermione was looking. You saved everything because you felt lucky. You did it yourself."

Bryt frowned. She thought it was a low trick, but she had to admit, it did help Ron's confidence. And Ron still did all the work himself, he just finally had a reason to believe he was a good player.

"I _told_ you you're a good player, Ron," Bryt said, looking at him, "You don't need some potion to tell you that." Bryt glanced at Harry. "Faked or not."

Harry gave an embarrassed grin at that and Ron spun on Hermione.

"_You added Felix Felicis to Ron's juice this morning, that's why he saved everything!_" he mocked, "See! I can save goals without help, Hermione!"

"I never said you couldn't—Ron, _you_ thought you'd been given it, too!"

Ron ignored her, starting for the door, but stopped and looked at Bryt.

"Coming?" he asked.

Bryt glanced at Hermione, who was staring at her now. For a second, Bryt was about to say she'd catch up, that she'd chat with Hermione for a moment. Then Hermione's words echoed in her head, her saying Ron only saved the goals because he had been dosed with lucky potion. She really didn't believe Ron was a great player? Bryt tensed at that, wondering how Hermione could think that. And how she could keep trying to bring up Ron's confidence if she thought he was so horrible at Quidditch. For a second, Bryt tried to shake the thought away. Hermione was her closest friend, after all.

Then Bryt remembered back to the Quidditch tryouts where Hermione had cast a Confundus Charm on McLaggan to get Ron onto the team. She hadn't even thought he was good enough then to play Quidditch, could only do anything if he had outside help...

Bryt glared at Hermione, who suddenly looked horrified.

"Yeah, I'm coming," Bryt said shortly, taking Ron's arm and doing something she hadn't done in the five-plus years she had been friends with Hermione:

She turned her back to her friend and walked away.

**xxxxx**

**A/N:** The mention of Bryt helping Lavender with her Patronus is from my one-shot _Helpful Advice_.


	20. Christmas Party

Bryt had never been on no-speaking terms with Hermione before and she had to admit, it didn't feel right. Still, any time she thought about talking to Hermione, she'd look at Ron and remember how Hermione didn't have any faith in his Quidditch skills. That always made Bryt decide that Hermione would have to come apologizing before she said anything to her again. Bryt didn't like being on the outs with the one person she'd never been angry with, but there was a first time for everything. This was it now. Hermione may have been her closest friend, much more like a sister, but Ron was her boyfriend and Bryt stood by him.

Over the next month, Bryt also became more aware of whenever Lavender was around. When she noticed her roommate, she found herself trying to limit how much she leaned against Ron or tried not to kiss him on the cheek in public as she often did. Some things she could never avoid, however, like when Ron leaned against her to read the newspaper together. Though that was something Bryt didn't want to stop. She had gotten so used to this routine that she didn't feel right reading the paper without him.

Bryt was ready for the holidays to begin. It would be her first Christmas home in years and Sofí and Julio would also be around for this Christmas. It also meant she'd be away from Hermione and wouldn't have to deal with trying to avoid her all day.

Unfortunately, Bryt knew there was one last thing she would have to deal with before she went home. Slughorn's little Christmas party. At least she'd be there with Ron. Maybe she could get away with just hiding in a corner and talking to him the entire time. Get everything done and over with and—Bryt felt both guilty and hopeful for thinking it—that she wouldn't have to talk to Hermione at the party. Unless Hermione was finally going to apologize for her accusations after the Quidditch match, that is.

When Bryt went into her room to get ready for the party, Hermione was already there and dressed in a set of red dress robes. When she saw Bryt, she ducked her head and hurried out of the room. For a second, Bryt felt a bit guilty and thought about going after her to talk to her, but then those same words went through her head again:

"_You spiked Ron's juice with lucky potion! That's why he saved everything!"_

Bryt hadn't spoken one word to Hermione since that day and until Hermione apologized for her accusations, Bryt was going to keep to her silence. She should have nothing to feel guilty over.

Bryt tried to push Hermione from her thoughts, instead focusing on getting ready. She sighed and pulled out the dress robes Sofí had given her. She found herself grateful, yet again, that these robes were a stylish top and pants with the over-robes rather than an actual dress like she wore to the Yule Ball. Lastly, Bryt pulled on the shoes that Sofí had sent her—a pair of tan Mary Janes. For a girl who was used to trainers, she had to admit, they felt weird. But at least they were comfortable.

Once ready, Bryt headed on down the stairs, glad that she could move much more comfortably in these robes. Harry and Ron came down from the boys' dormitories seconds after Bryt reached the common room and Bryt noticed Ron staring at her in much the same way he had two years ago when he saw her in dress robes for the Yule Ball. Like then, Bryt felt her face flushing in response.

"C'mon, we're meeting Luna downstairs, remember?" Bryt asked, referring to the fact that Harry had invited Luna to the party as a friend to try and detour the girls who had been trying to slip him a love potion lately.

Bryt took Ron's arm, then noticed Lavender staring at her from across the common room. Bryt ducked her head as they left, again feeling like she was flaunting her relationship with Ron now that she knew Lavender had a crush on her boyfriend. Hopefully Lavender would move on soon, maybe after the Christmas holidays.

When they met Luna, Bryt noticed she was wearing silver dress robes decorated with stars so that she resembled one of those frosted, star-patterned Christmas ornaments, but Bryt still thought that she looked quite nice.

"Hey Luna, nice dress," Bryt greeted.

"Oh thank you," Luna said, looking far happier than Bryt had ever seen her before, "Your outfit is quite nice, too."

Bryt thanked Luna, mentioning her robes were a gift from a friend who worked at a robe shop—then Bryt started to wonder if Sofí had actually made the robes she was wearing herself. Bryt had never seen Sofí do any type of sewing before, but then again, Bryt had never taken Sofí for the type to succeed at a job in a shop to begin with. And Sofí did like fashion. Maybe she took up lessons.

The four headed back up the stairs to Slughorn's office. Bryt had only been there once before for one of his dinners. She had been hoping she wouldn't have to attend another of his little parties, but Ron had wanted to come.

As they walked, Luna started talking about a conspiracy that the Minister of Magic was actually a vampire. Bryt resisted the urge to roll her eyes and elbowed Ron in the side when he shook his head and opened his mouth like he was about to argue or tell Luna that she was insane.

Bryt was both glad and dreading it when they reached Slughorn's office. She was glad to get there because the sooner they got going, the sooner they could be through the party. She was dreading it because she'd rather spend her time up in the common room than at the party.

'_Ron wants to be here,'_ Bryt reminded herself. That was the reason she was dealing with this.

Slughorn's office was crowded and the walls were lined with cloth hangings in colors that made Bryt think they had walked into a Christmas-colored tent, everything set in a red glow from the lights floating overhead. Bryt noticed a few house elves running around, holding trays over her head and she glared, making a mental note not to eat anything while she was here. Besides, she had plenty to eat during dinner.

"Harry, m'boy!" Slughorn seemed to notice them the second they walked in and hurried over, "And Miss Watkins, you made it, too! Come in, come in, so many people I'd like you to meet!"

Slughorn took Harry by the arm, dragging him off through the crowd. Harry had a grip on Luna, pulling her along, which forced Ron and Bryt to force their way through the crowd to follow until they caught up to the others, who were now standing with a short, slightly heavyset man in glasses.

"I'd like you to meet Eldred Worple, an old student of mine," Slughorn said and Bryt's eyes widened as she shook the man's hand. She had read the man's book about his time living among vampires. Unlike with Lockhart—Bryt's second-year Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who took claim to the achievements of others and erased their memories so they couldn't talk—Worple was the true thing. Something shown now by the fact that he had a vampire with him.

"Ron, Ron, a vampire," Bryt whispered, tugging on her boyfriend's sleeve while the Harry and Slughorn talked with Worple. Bryt was more interested in the man nearby. He was tall man who looked tired and bored, separated from the others, though the closest was a group of girls who were staring at him curiously.

"I suppose you'll want to go talk to him?" Ron asked sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"It'd be fun!" Bryt said excitedly.

"Don't bother, Mr. Worple won't let you."

Bryt turned around to see Megan had come up, her cousin right behind her.

"Already tried?" Bryt asked, though she wasn't at all surprised. Talking to a vampire would give Megan a lot more insight on them for the book she wanted to write.

"Yeah, but he doesn't want his friend to get tempted," Megan said, nodding towards Worple," No idea why he brought a vampire here in the first place, then. I mean, a crowd full of people, not to mention all the young ladies, is just like taking an alcoholic to a pub, you know what I mean? It's just common sense to keep him away. But you got to admit, it's awesome to meet one."

Ron was staring at Megan as if she grew a second head and Bryt laughed, used to Megan by now. She glanced towards Harry to call him over, but noticed he was gone. Bryt looked around and saw him towards the other side of the room. She was about to call him until she noticed he was with Hermione and, surprisingly, Julio. Hermione must have talked Slughorn into letting her invite Julio to the castle as her date. Either that or Julio's talents impressed Slughorn enough that he had invited him up.

Bryt turned back to Ron instead.

"Ron, this is Megan Jones, from my Care of Magical Creatures class. And her cousin I told you about, Noah Goddard." Bryt turned to the cousins, "And this is my boyfriend, Ron."

"Yeah, I know," Noah said with a friendly grin as he held out his hand, "Gryffindor Keeper. You play one hell of a game."

Ron was staring at Noah as if he wasn't sure what to think. Bryt couldn't blame him. After all, he had just gotten recognized for something other than being Harry Potter's friend, or the younger brother of one of his siblings. But that compliment was coming from a Slytherin who was praising him for beating his team in Quidditch.

"Ron? Shake his hand already," Bryt whispered, nudging him.

"Oh, right..." Ron said, slowly shaking Noah's hand, though Bryt wondered if he even realized he had since he kept staring at Noah in confusion, "Aren't you a Slytherin?"

"Yeah," Noah said, "I'm not part of the Slug Club, though. Megan invited me along because she couldn't find anyone to put up with her endless rambling."

"You didn't ask Anthony?" Bryt asked Megan in confusion. She could have sworn the Ravenclaw had a crush on Megan. Did Megan not feel the same way?

Though the way Megan reacted told Bryt differently. Her eyes widened and she nearly dropped her butterbeer.

"Anthony?" she asked, "Why would I have asked him? I mean, he doesn't even...Wait, do you know something I don't? Does he like me? He does, doesn't he? Damn, I could have asked him! I should have asked him! What if he was wanting me to ask him to this party? I bet he doesn't think I like him now. Damn, I'm such an idiot. Why didn't I just ask him to the party?"

"Megan, calm down," Noah said with a sigh.

"I think she might be more mental than you are," Ron told Bryt in a whisper. She glared at him and elbowed him hard in the side before turning back to Megan.

"I'd say just ask Anthony after the holidays," Bryt said, "If he really likes you, I'm sure he'll be forgiving for not getting an invite here."

Bryt paused, realizing she was standing here, talking about boys and trying to get Megan to go out on dates. She shook her head in surprise. Bryt wasn't the type for 'girl talk', especially not willingly. But Megan had seemed so upset, she thought she had to say something. Bryt was grateful that Sofí wasn't there. She'd never have heard the end of it. At least Hermione would just sit there with that smirk—

Bryt shook her head to rid herself of that thought. She was supposed to be enjoying herself, not thinking about her falling out with her friend.

Luckily, Bryt had the perfect distraction as the subject changed to Quidditch and the four soon ended up in a heated debate on their favorite Quidditch teams. Ron, who was still unsure what to think of Noah, seemed to warm up to him almost instantly when he learned Noah was a Chudley Cannons supporter. The two quickly began chatting about their team until Megan said she was tired and wanted to head back to her common room and Noah decided to walk her out.

"For a Slytherin, he's not so bad," Ron admitted grudgingly after Noah had left.

"I told you he was an okay guy," Bryt laughed, leaning against Ron, her arms wrapped around one of his, "Come on, let's grab a butterbeer. Or we could head back to the common room. It's kinda boring here, anyway."

Ron seemed to think it over, then stared off across the room. Bryt followed his gaze and saw Hermione and Julio talking, though Harry seemed to have disappeared again. The two seemed to notice Bryt and Ron staring, though Bryt looked away again quickly.

"Yeah, I'd rather go play some Wizard Chess," Ron said, "That sound good?"

"Yep, let's go," Bryt said with a grin, following him on out of the room. At least her experience at the party hadn't been a disaster and tomorrow she would be on her way home for Christmas. She couldn't wait.


	21. Holiday at Home

"For the last time, Julio, I ain't gonna talk t'Hermione," Bryt snapped, closing her eyes and holding her hand over her face as she flopped backwards across her bed.

"Bryt, just—"

"No."

"But—"

"No!"

"Please—"

"Julio, leave her alone," Sofí said.

"Thank you," Bryt said, looking towards the girl, who was sitting next to Bryt's trunk, "Can we talk 'bout somethin' else, please?"

"Well, Astrid finally got her own place," Sofí said.

"She has?" Bryt asked, sitting up. Astrid had wanted to come to visit, but she was working practically every day, it being so busy at the Ministry. Bryt wondered how she got the time to look for a new place.

"Yeah, she got an apartment—_"_

"_Flat_," Julio cut in, "They call them flats here."

"Whatever," Sofí waved him off, "Astrid has a _flat_ in London, pretty close to the Ministry of Magic."

"And now when they're both off, however rare that is, Sofí spends her time at Astrid's instead of buggin' me," Julio said from where he was sitting at Bryt's desk.

Bryt rolled her eyes, still annoyed at Julio trying for the tenth time since holidays began to broker peace between Bryt and Hermione. Bryt had been hoping holidays would get her away from the trouble with Hermione but she instead had to deal with it every time Julio came over.

"Hey, what's this thing?"

Bryt looked to Sofí, who was holding up a vile of gold liquid.

"Be careful with that!" Bryt said, getting up and snatching the bottle away, "That's my Felix Felicis. I won it during my first Potions class this year."

"Well, y'need a better place for it than the bottom of yer trunk."

Bryt rolled her eyes again as she went over and put the vial into the top drawer of her desk.

"It was wrapped in a shirt, it should've been safe there if you hadn't messed with it."

"Until you went t'get that shirt and ended up with that potion all over yer clothes."

Bryt sighed, putting her hand over her face. It was still early in the morning. She wasn't in the mood for all of this.

"Can't we just watch whatever movie you brought?" Bryt asked Sofí, "Mike and Drew should be up by now."

Sofí had decided that they should have a 'movie day', even though they were only planning to watch one movie, which was about a dinosaur park and the trouble that happens after the power goes out. Bryt remembered Mike and Drew wanted to see the movie when it was in theaters a few years ago, but Mrs. Watkins wouldn't let them because they were 'too young' as she said. After Sofí reassured Mrs. Watkins that the movie wasn't overly violent and didn't have that much language, she decided it would be okay for Mike and Drew to watch it with Bryt and the others.

Bryt should have known from the second she put the VHS in the player that movie time would be more entertaining than just watching the movie. The living room only had just enough seats for them, with Bryt sitting with her brothers on the couch and Sofí and Julio taking the armchairs. Sofí kept wanting to sit sideways in the chair and lean her head against Bryt's armrest on the couch, causing them to argue as Bryt tried to push her away. By the time all that was settled, the VHS had gone through its usual previews and was finally starting the movie. Of course, Sofí hadn't stopped there. She spent half the movie quoting random lines along with the characters, only to have Mike to snap at her to shut up so he can hear.

Bryt knew she should have been expecting this, but she had forgotten what it was like watching movies with Sofí, especially if it was a movie she'd seen so many times she knew it by heart. At least Bryt had liked this movie. Usually Sofí made her sit through haunting movies or chick flicks.

Over two hours later—with stops to refresh popcorn bowls, then later to clean up popcorn after Merlin ran through and knocked over Mike and Drew's bowl—they finally made it through the movie. Unfortunately, Sofí decided the best thing to do with the leftover popcorn was to start a food fight. Within minutes, Bryt was crouched behind an armchair, trying awkwardly to share her space with Drew. Mike as wedged between the back of the couch and the Christmas tree, Julio was behind a different armchair, and Sofí not bothering with any protection. Bryt had just ducked out from behind the chair to launch a piece at Sofí when she noticed her mother in the archway and froze.

"What in the world are you four _doing_?" Mrs. Watkins demanded, "I thought you were teenagers, not toddlers!"

Bryt stared at her mother, embarrassed. She slowly came out from behind the armchair, still holding her handful of popcorn ammunition. She noticed Mike standing up as well, trying desperately to keep his hand behind his back to hide the popcorn he was holding, as if Mrs. Watkins would believe Mike just happened to be there instead of participating in the fight.

"We'll get it cleaned up," Bryt offered.

"You'd better get right on that," Mrs. Watkins said, glancing at Julio—who had popcorn caught in his hair—with a look as if she thought that he, at least, was mature enough not to get into a food fight, "When you do, there are sandwiches waiting in the kitchen for you."

Mrs. Watkins left with that and Bryt picked up the bowl next to Drew on the floor. The mood destroyed, the group began slowly getting what popcorn they could find, which was quite a lot considering their bowls had been refreshed halfway through the movie but they didn't eat all that much afterward.

The cleaning took nearly ten minutes, but when they were finally done, Julio offered to trash the popcorn and they went into the kitchen, where Mrs. Watkins did indeed have sandwiches waiting for them.

"Well, at least you're all acting like humans again," Mrs. Watkins said as they sat down to eat. Bryt gave an awkward grin, knowing her mother had the right to be angry. After all, they were just in the middle of a food fight in her living room.

"Next time, Bryt," Mrs. Watkins went on, "Invite Hermione over. I'm sure she, at least, would be able to keep you all under control."

Mrs. Watkins gave one last stern look to Julio, as if the food fight had been his fault, before leaving the room. Bryt guessed she was going to make sure they did, indeed, get up all of the popcorn in the living room.

Just as Bryt was about to go back to her sandwich, she noticed Julio staring at her.

"No," Bryt snapped before he could speak up.

"But—"

"Julio, I swear, if you mention Hermione _at all_ for the rest of my holiday, I'll curse you into oblivion. Expulsion from Hogwarts or not."

Julio frowned, but seemed to think better of speaking up again. Bryt just hoped he took the hint and left her along about the subject. She noticed Mike and Drew both staring at her curiously—both knew Bryt and Hermione had a falling out, but neither knew why. And not knowing those facts was something that Bryt knew was driving Mike insane, but he knew better than to ask.

With the subject dropped, Bryt went back to her sandwich, soon distracted by Sofí talking about difficult clients she got at Madam Malkin's.

**xxxxx**

Bryt woke up on Christmas morning to the sound of Christmas tunes playing softly from across the hall. She grinned, remembering there was only one time before she'd woken up to this scenario. She had been seven and tried to sneak downstairs—she still believed in Santa then and was trying to take a look at what gifts she got before the rest of the family was up. She had gotten halfway down the stairs when she hit a creaking step and froze. The music had stopped and her mother came from the kitchen, her hair still tangled since she'd yet to wrap the bandana around it before starting her cooking. Bryt remembered grinning awkwardly at her mother, then running to hide in her room, only to Mrs. Watkins demand she come back downstairs. Bryt had been terrified that she was in trouble, but instead her mother just had her help with making breakfast that morning.

Bryt opened her eyes, though the memory was still fresh in her mind as she swung her legs off the bed, glad she was wearing socks as her feet hit the cold floor. She crept over to her desk and grabbed her housecoat, pulling it on. Her bedroom door was still hanging open, so she didn't have to worry about the noise or creaking floorboards as she crept as quietly as she could across the hallway and glanced into the kitchen, greeted by a site that almost made her laugh out loud.

Her mother was in the kitchen with her back to her, the radio on to a station playing Christmas music, and she was doing this odd little dance as she worked to tie her apron around her waist. As she turned, Bryt noticed her mother had been lip-singing to the music—until she noticed Bryt peeking around the doorframe and froze, her hands still on the tie of her apron.

"Oh, good morning, Bryt," Mrs. Watkins said, grinning as if she hadn't just been caught dancing along to Christmas music, "I didn't realize you were awake. You usually sleep in late."

Bryt shrugged, coming on into the kitchen.

"Just woke up," she said, "I heard the music and was wondering if you had started cooking yet."

"Oh, I'm just about to start," Mrs. Watkins said, turning and reaching to turn off the radio.

"C'mon, leave it on this time," Bryt said, "It'll be fun listening to music while we eat and open presents this year."

"I guess you're right," Mrs. Watkins said, seeming all too eager to let the music keep playing, "I could use the help with breakfast if you're willing."

"Sure," Bryt said, coming on into the kitchen. She pulled off her housecoat again and laid it across the back of a chair before pushing up the sleeves of her pajama top. She helped her mother get out what she needed for the pancakes, then offered to cook some sausage to go along with them.

As Bryt got out the frying pan and opened a pack of sausage, dropping a few in the pan to cook, she glanced at her mother. She was mixing the batter for the pancakes, swaying side to side and barely moving her lips along with the music.

"You can sing if you want," Bryt said, "You don't gotta hide it 'cause of me."

Mrs. Watkins grinned a bit, but didn't say anything. Though Bryt noticed she was more open about her lip-singing after she said that. The mood got a bit addicting and Bryt found herself lip-singing to the music herself about halfway through cooking the sausages, bouncing slightly from foot-to-foot to the beat of the music.

"Watch that you don't burn the sausage, Bryt," Mrs. Watkins said, leaning over from where she was focused on the pancakes.

"Yeah, I'm watching them, Mom," Bryt laughed, "Keep your eyes on the pancakes. I'd rather have them brown than black."

"Keep that up and I'll burn yours on purpose."

Bryt grinned, then realized this was the first time in years she and her mother had really just had time alone. Even during her summer holidays, whenever Bryt was around her mother, someone else was there as well—her father, brothers, the Garcías, Hermione, and more recently, Emily or Astrid. It was what happened when five people lived in a small house. It was nearly impossible to have alone time or even just time with one person. Bryt couldn't help but feel a bit guilty about how little time she'd been able to spend with her family, especially her mother.

But she was getting time now. That she was grateful for. Especially for the fact that Mrs. Watkins hadn't once brought up the fact that Bryt hadn't been home for the past four Christmases. It was like she was just as happy to have Bryt around, so she didn't want to say anything either.

"Bryt, the sausages!"

"Oh, damn it!" Bryt hissed, pulling up the frying pan fast as thick smoke started billowing from the pan. She cried out and dropped the pan, forgetting that she had been using cast iron and the handle had been just as hot as the pan itself.

Bryt cursed loudly as she ran for the sink, tossing down the spatula she'd been using as she turned on the cold water, shoving her hand under. Her hand was throbbing, but at least it wasn't the worst pain she'd ever experienced. The cold water helped slightly, but she could barely feel the water over the burn.

"Oh, sweetie, are you okay?" Mrs. Watkins was at Bryt's side the instant she had turned on the water.

"Burned myself," was all Bryt said through gritted teeth, fighting hard not to bite her mother's head off. She just grabbed a hot pain, was in pain, and Mrs. Watkins was asking if she was okay? Of course she wasn't.

"Let me see it," Mrs. Watkins said, reaching over and taking Bryt's wrist gently, pulling her hand out from under the water. The burning sensation on Bryt's hand increased immediately and she took a sharp breath through her nose, pushing her hand under the water again.

"It looks bad, maybe I should take you to the emergency room..."

"No, I'm fine," Bryt said quickly. The last thing she wanted as to spend her Christmas anywhere near a hospital, "Just get me an ice pack or something. I'll keep that on it. If it keeps hurting, I guess we can put some antibiotic cream on it or something. I think Julio did something similar when Sofí burned herself making grilled cheeses a few years ago."

"Bryt, are you sure—"

"I don't wanna go to the hospital, Mom," Bryt said, "If the burn's really that bad, I'll go. But I don't want to go if I don't have to, okay? I'm sure I'll be fine with the ice. Besides, we gotta finish breakfast for the others."

Mrs. Watkins had already started making Bryt's ice pack by putting ice in a plastic zip-bag before wrapping it in a dishtowel. She had come back to Bryt by the time she finished talking, holding out the bag. Bryt took her hand out from under the water, drying it off—wincing when the paper towels hit the burn—then put the ice pack on it.

"Don't keep it on there all the time," Mrs. Watkins said, "Ten minutes on, ten minutes off, no matter how much it burns. Sit down at the table and I'll clean up the sausages and make breakfast. We'll just keep an eye on your burn."

Bryt nodded, then realized _Deck the Halls_ was playing on the radio. 'Tis the season to be jolly, yeah right. Bryt was sitting at the table, frowning, dealing with her throbbing hand as she watched her mother cleaned up the mess she had made before scrapping the pancakes that were starting to burn and start making more.

'_First Christmas home in years, couldn't it have gone right?'_ Bryt thought, glaring at her hand. Maybe it was karma for spending holidays away for so long. If so, she felt she deserved it.

Bryt sat still, trying to ignore her hand as she watched her mother go back to cooking and was soon lost in her little dance again. When the food got close to being done, she asked Bryt to go get everyone awake and let them know food was done. Bryt took the ice pack off her hand, glad that it didn't hurt nearly as much as before—but still hurt quite a lot—and went to wake up her siblings and father.

It turned out Mr. Watkins was already awake, but Bryt had trouble getting the twins up. Mike finally got up after the fifth shake, but Drew took until Bryt had nearly shoved the boy out of bed before he finally seemed to wake up. All three of them had asked about Bryt's hand when she had told them breakfast was ready, and with each she simply said she burned herself and she was okay.

Breakfast passed by like a normal Watkins Christmas breakfast, though Bryt kept her burnt hand lying next to her plate on the table. She was very grateful that she hadn't burned her dominate hand. She didn't want to have to deal with trying to eat with her right hand for a change. The more the numbness of Bryt's ice pack wore off, the worst her hand felt, but she forced herself to wait the full ten minutes before putting the ice pack back on.

After eating, they moved to the living room and were just about to start on presents when Sofí, Julio, and Astrid came over. Bryt grinned, glad they had decided to come, and realized that this was the first time she'd seen Astrid at all since holidays began. She looked tired, but she was grinning brightly and seemed in a good mood.

Sofí was obviously in a very, very good mood, which was proven more when Sofí began cracking up over finding out how Bryt burned her hand.

"What idiot grabs a hot pan?" she asked through her laughing. Bryt glared and would have thrown a couch cushion at her, but couldn't because she was sitting on the floor away from the couch and had her hands full holding the ice pack.

"I just reacted, I didn't think," Bryt shot back.

"You never think."

Bryt glared and Mrs. Watkins cleared her throat. Sofí grinned at her, but sat down on the floor near Bryt and Bryt's parents began dividing out the presents from under the tree. Bryt had to admit, she liked this much better than just having a pile of presents at the foot of her bed. She liked seeing other people's reactions.

Opening presents around others was just as chaotic as Bryt remembered. It seemed everyone was opening their presents simultaneously, constantly trying to talk to another to thank for gifts. Bryt herself got a good haul as usual, the only setback being the usual unwanted jewelry from her grandparents. Bryt even got a present from Hermione—granted, it was literally just a scented candle with a note that only read 'Happy Christmas'. Hermione usually got her a scented candle plus some other thing and Bryt felt hurt over this, but tried not to focus on it. She and Hermione weren't speaking, after all. She should be lucky to get anything at all. At least Bryt had gone through with going ahead and sending Hermione the gift she had bought months ago, otherwise she'd be feeling even more guilty than she already did.

Bryt pushed Hermione from her mind, turning back to her friends and family. Unwrapping presents one-handed was especially hard, but she managed. And just like Sofí, she decided she wanted to help just as Bryt picked up her present from Ron. Sofí had been confused and disappointed when it turned out to just be a new journal, however. Bryt found herself fighting very hard not to show how pleased she was with the gift—and the fact that Ron had actually remembered Bryt did keep a journal, even if he did find out in a very embarrassing way for Bryt. Bryt was determined Sofí wouldn't find out, so she passed off the gift as just Ron trying to be a good boyfriend and stashed the thing in the box with her other gifts.

The rest of Christmas passed in the simple, normalness that Bryt had missed for years. Though where Bryt had before talked in her room with Sofí and Julio, she stayed in the living room this time with everyone, enjoying talking about anything they could think of. Past Christmases, Sofí and Julio's jobs, how Astrid was adjusting to living in London on her own.

Bryt missed having Christmases like this and, even with her burned hand, she wouldn't trade today for anything. Despite her accident in the morning, today had been great. If she was lucky, there'd be many more Christmases like this in the future.


	22. News from Harry

The following morning, the line across the palm of Bryt's hand was still very red and would hurt when Bryt flexed her fingers or tried to pick something up. Mrs. Watkins insisted on taking Bryt to the hospital, despite her protests that she was fine. All the trip told them was that Bryt had a mild second-degree burn and the best way to treat it was just to keep antibiotic ointment on it and keep it wrapped in gauze for the next couple of weeks—though keeping it uncovered at night. This meant that Bryt still had her hand wrapped when she was going to be heading back to Hogwarts with her brothers.

Mr. Watkins had been off the day Bryt and her brothers had to leave, though Julio, Sofí, and Astrid couldn't be off to visit. Emily had come to take them by side-along Apparation and was currently waiting in the kitchen while Bryt was double-checking to make sure she had all her clothes and books back in her trunk. After her final check, she straightened up, slinging her mini backpack over her back as she closed her trunk, then picked up Joey's cage from her dresser.

When Bryt went into the kitchen, she noticed her brothers were already there and Drew was checking on Merlin in his cat carrier. Bryt's parents were talking with Emily, though they grinned as Bryt came in.

"Are you ready?" Mr. Watkins asked, coming over and checking the wrap around Bryt's injured hand to make sure it wasn't too tight.

"Yeah," Bryt replied, "I'll be fine, Dad, I should be able to stop using the wrap in a couple of days. Besides, I've been injured worse."

Which was true. In the past several years, Bryt had rammed a broom into a wall and sprained her wrist, received a concision from a cave in, had a tree attack her and break her cheekbone, sprain her ankle tripping on tree roots, had the words 'I must not commit violence' carved into the back of her left hand, gave herself a black eye with a telescope, and was hit with a nasty curse that had left a thick scar on her back. Not to mention minor injuries or scrapes and bruises that occurred in Herbology or Care of Magical Creatures. She'd probably been injured more times in the past five-and-a-half years than she had her entire eleven years before starting at Hogwarts. For the school to be the safest place there is, a lot of accidents happened there.

Bryt and her brothers gave their parents goodbyes and hugs were given all around with promises to stay out of trouble and write as often as they could. Once they were ready, Emily Apparated with Bryt first, then returned seconds later with Mike and Drew.

The walk to Hogwarts was silent and once inside, Bryt and Mike parted ways with Drew as he headed down to the basements for the Hufflepuff common room while the other two started for the Gryffindor common room. They were met halfway by Mike's girlfriend, Emma, who told them that the password had changed to 'abstinence' because the Fat Lady had apparently gotten very drunk over the Christmas holidays.

Once in the common room, Bryt made her way up to her room and dropped her trunk at the foot of her bed, then went to the window and opened Joey's cage, allowing him to fly off back to the Owlery. She heard the door open behind her and turned around to see Hermione had come in, looking pink-faced from the cold and pulling her trunk along.

"Oh...hello," Hermione said awkwardly, moving towards her bed. Bryt just stared at her, not knowing what to say. After all, she hadn't spoken one word to Hermione in months and usually when they were around each other in their room, Lavender or Parvati were there as well, or one of them was just leaving.

"Um, I should go," Bryt said finally, but Hermione remained in the doorway.

"I've had a long talk with Julio, you know," Hermione said, staring at a spot on the wall behind Bryt, "He convinced me that we need to sit down and talk."

Was she actually going to apologize for what she did during the Quidditch game? Bryt flexed her injured hand at her side—something the doctor had advised her to do to keep the healing skin from becoming too tight and causing her to lose mobility in that hand—as she stared at Hermione, then crossed her arms over her chest.

"About how rude you were to Ron?" Bryt asked. Hermione looked at her.

"I never—" Hermione started, then cut herself off and took a deep breath, "Look, I don't want to argue, Bryt. I'm trying to make things right, okay?"

Bryt stared at Hermione, surprised. She'd never known Hermione to make the first move to settle an argument—she had even believed in the back of her mind that they would have eventually gotten tired of not talking and one day go back to normal as if nothing was wrong and just never mention the Quidditch match. It was a bit ironic that Hermione would never be the first to apologize when she was constantly trying to get others to stop arguing. Maybe she was finally taking her own advice.

"I can understand that," Bryt finally said, "But I'm not the one you're supposed to apologize to."

"What?" Hermione asked sharply, "You're the one who's been ignoring me!"

Bryt rolled her eyes.

"Because you told Ron _to his face_ that he had no Quidditch talent."

"That...That wasn't what I meant!" Hermione said, actually stomping her foot in frustration, "How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"It's what it sounded like," Bryt said, "You said the only way Ron could save goals was when he had been dosed with Felix Felicis, which he hadn't been in the first place!"

"I did not mean it that way!" Hermione shot back, "I know Ron's a good player, okay? I had _meant_ that Ron _thought_ he had been dosed with lucky potion so he actually had the confidence to play well!"

Bryt was about to snap back when she cut herself off, realizing that she herself was constantly complaining about Ron's lack of self-confidence. But she at least didn't do it to Ron's face.

Bryt and Hermione continued to stand there in silence, staring at each other. Bryt kept flexing her right hand, which caught Hermione's attention and she glanced at the bandages wrapped around Bryt's palm.

"What happened to your hand?" she asked.

"Burned it cooking sausages," Bryt replied, "It's nearly healed."

"You could go to Madam Pomfrey about it—"

"I said it's nearly healed. Maybe two or three more days. I don't see what Madam Pomfrey could do for me."

Hermione fell silent and Bryt stared out the window. She didn't exactly imagine finally talking to Hermione again going quite like this. Still, they were actually talking. That should count for something, right?

Hermione had said she was trying to settle their differences. Maybe it was time for Bryt to step up and do the same. After all, two years before, Bryt had ended a silent treatment with Ron by just sitting next to him and starting to talk again. Maybe it was time she let bygones be bygones. Besides, she missed being around Hermione.

"I'm thinking about going down and visiting Hagrid," Bryt said finally, "Want to come?"

Hermione grinned, seeming to decide to take Bryt's cue and not try to fight again.

"Sure," she said.

Bryt pulled her gloves back on and followed Hermione back down the stairs and out of the castle into the snow.

"Did you have a good Christmas?" Bryt asked as they made their way towards Hagrid's hut.

"Yes," Hermione said, "Julio visited a couple of times, that was really nice. What about you?"

"Pretty good," Bryt replied, feeling a bit guilty about all the times she bit Julio's head off during her holidays now, "Chaotic, but what do you expect with Sofí around? But otherwise, my holiday was great. It was good to be home for once."

"I know what you mean," Hermione said and Bryt suddenly realized that Hermione had been away from home just has much as Bryt had—even more since she spent most all of her holidays with Bryt. It must have been a great relief for her to spend Christmas at home for once.

They reached Hagrid's hut, but couldn't hear Fang. Bryt guessed Hagrid and Fang were somewhere in the Forbidden Forest, probably visiting Argog. Bryt noticed Buckbeak was still there, however, and grinned as she headed over, bowing to him before approaching.

"Hey there, Bu—er, Witherwings," Bryt said as she pet the hippogriff. Hermione came up beside her.

"At least he seems to be doing well," Hermione said and Bryt grinned. She and Hermione were actually talking normally again. She just hoped they could keep this up after Ron was back from the Burrow.

Hermione and Bryt talked for a couple minutes more before deciding to head back up to the castle, figuring Hagrid wouldn't be back anytime soon. As they walked, Hermione mentioned that McGonagall gave her a scroll to pass to Harry when they saw him next. Both figured it would be about Harry's next lesson with Dumbledore and started wondering what Dumbledore would show Harry this time.

By the time they got back to the portrait of the Fat Lady, Bryt grinned when she noticed Harry, Ron, and Ginny were standing there. Bryt hurried forward, hugging Ron, then kissing him on the cheek. It'd only been a few weeks, but she had missed being around Ron.

"Good to see you again, too," Ron said awkwardly, then seemed to notice Hermione, "So...er..."

"She apologized," Bryt said, then went on when she noticed Hermione looking like she was about to protest, "Everything's good now."

Harry muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'about time' and Bryt glared at him.

"I've got something for you, Harry," Hermione said, seeming to decide it was better not to argue—Bryt silently thanked her for it, "Oh, hang on—password. Abstinence."

"Precisely," the Fat Lady said before opening the entrance.

"What's up with her?" Harry asked.

"She got drunk over Christmas holiday," Bryt replied as all five of them piled into the common room and Hermione handed Harry the scroll from Dumbledore.

"Great," Harry said, quickly reading the paper, "I've got loads to tell him—and you two. Let's sit down. Coming, Ginny?"

"No thanks, I said I'd meet Dean," Ginny said as she left. Bryt watched her, thinking that Ginny didn't sound all that happy about going to meet her boyfriend. She turned away, however, and followed her friends over to a table in the corner. As she sat down, she noticed Lavender and Parvati near the fireplace. When Lavender caught Bryt's glance, she grinned and waved before turning back to Parvati. Bryt grinned herself, realizing that was the first time since the school year began that Lavender didn't duck away when she noticed Bryt. Maybe that meant she was finally starting to get over her crush on Ron.

"So, how were your Christmases?" Harry asked.

"Oh, fine," Hermione said, "Nothing special."

"Same," Bryt said as she pulled off her gloves, then on the boys' looks, "I burned my hand, nothing major."

"You burn your hand and your Christmas was normal?" Ron asked, staring at Bryt as if she just stated she wanted to wear nothing but dresses the rest of her life.

"Well, I don't burn my hand all the time," Bryt said, "But it's no big deal, okay? It's nearly healed anyway. So, what did you want to tell us?"

"I overheard Malfoy and Snape talking during Slughorn's Christmas party," Harry said, leaning forward to whisper, "Malfoy has some task he's been given, he's working under someone's orders. Snape was trying to get Malfoy to tell him what he was up to, to offer help. I would have told you this at the party, but by the time I got back, you and Ron and left, Bryt. And, well, Hermione and Julio seemed a little preoccupied."

Hermione's face went red and Bryt smirked at her while Ron looked as if he were about to make some comment.

"We were under mistletoe," Hermione said, then obviously not wanting that conversation to continue, she turned to Harry, "Listen, don't you think—"

"—he was pretending to offer help so he could trick Malfoy into telling him what he was doing?" Harry cut in. It sounded like he'd gotten this explanation several times already. Bryt had to admit, she was more likely to believe that explanation. She hated Snape as much as anyone, but she knew he was a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore trusted him. And she had to remember, as much as she didn't like the idea, Snape was pretty much the reason they were alive right now. He was the one who contacted the Order when they had gone to the Ministry, thinking they were going to save Sirius, only to walk into a trap. If he hadn't have let the Order know, they would most likely all be dead.

"It just seems more likely," Bryt admitted slowly.

"I already told him that," Ron said, "And Dad and Lupin both think so as well."

"But this definitely proves Malfoy's planning something, you can't deny that," Harry said.

Bryt and Hermione glanced at each other for a moment, it clear on Hermione's face she was thinking the same as Bryt.

"I guess we can't," Bryt said with a sigh.

"And he's acting on Voldemort's orders, just like I said!" Harry said.

Bryt and Hermione exchanged another look. She had to admit, she felt Harry was jumping to conclusions. Just because Malfoy was up to something didn't mean that he was working for Voldemort.

"Did either of them actually mention Voldemort's name?" Hermione asked, turning back to Harry, who frowned at them.

"I'm not sure..." he finally said, "Snape definitely said 'your master', and who else would that be?"

"His father?" Bryt asked with a shrug. She wasn't too sure, though. Mr. Malfoy was in Azkaban, after all. Maybe he gave his son the task before he was arrested?

"How's Lupin?" Hermione asked after about a minute. Bryt pulled herself from her thoughts, looking back at Harry. She hadn't heard much about Lupin lately and was curious how he was doing.

"Not great," Harry said, "He's been working undercover for the Order, living among werewolves who've turned away from the wizarding world. They blame the Ministry for their situation." Harry paused for a moment. "Have you heard of this Fenrir Greyback?"

"Greyback?" Bryt asked, horrified. She'd read the name several times and after hearing it over the summer, she had looked it up again. He was a werewolf, and a very dangerous one. He targeted children, purposely turning them and stealing them away from their families to raise them to hate magic.

"So you have?" Harry asked, looking at Bryt.

"You've heard of him too," Hermione said, "Remember? Malfoy threatened Borgin with him! Back in Knockturn Alley. He told Borgin that Greyback was an old family friend and that he'd be checking up on Borgin's progress!"

"I forgot!" Harry said, looking almost excited, "But this _proves_ Malfoy's a Death Eater, how else could he be in contact with Greyback and telling him what to do?"

"It could just be an empty threat," Bryt pointed out and Hermione nodded in agreement, "Malfoy likes acting tough and intimidating, but when it comes down to it, he's a coward."

"You're unbelievable, you are," Harry said, sounding annoyed, "We'll see who's right. You'll be eating your words, both of you, just like the Ministry. Oh yeah, that reminds me. I had a row with Rufus Scrimgeour as well. He wanted me to be a spokesperson for the Ministry. You know, pop in every now and then and give the appearance that I thought the Ministry was doing a good job and all."

"He's barking mad if he thinks Harry'll approve of anything the Ministry does after what they put him through last year," Ron said.

"No kidding," Bryt said, "I mean, they call him a liar and a nutter for a year, then it turns out he's right and they're jumping to get him to be their mascot? I knew the Ministry was full of idiots, but I didn't know it was this bad."

The rest of the day went with the four of them coming up with any insult they could think of about the Minister of Magic—Bryt had to admit, Ron had some very colorful choices, most of which got him scolded by Hermione. Bryt couldn't help but think about how she had even missed that about being around Hermione. It was good to have her around again. Hermione was her closest friend, after all. Things could finally get back to normal with them.


	23. Apparition Lesson

When Bryt woke up the next morning, Hermione was still in the room, sitting on her bed and brushing through her hair. Bryt had actually gotten used to Hermione being gone when she woke up, so seeing her friend was surprising. Bryt grinned to herself, once again glad she and Hermione were no longer on no-speaking terms. Bryt gave Hermione a quick 'good morning' before getting dressed, then the two headed down the stairs together.

There was a crowd of sixth years gathered around the notice board when Bryt reached the common room and she and Hermione made their way over. Bryt went to where Harry and Ron were near the edge of the crowd and Bryt tried to stand on her toes to see what the fuss was about.

"Apparition lessons," Ron said, "Gonna sign up?"

"Sounds fun," Bryt said with a grin. She hadn't liked apparition much the first time she went side-along a few years ago, but after going through it so much sense, she'd gotten used to it and had to admit, it would be nice to be able to disappear and reappear miles away.

The four signed their names to the list, then started for breakfast.

"Should be a laugh, eh?" Ron asked with a grin.

"I dunno," Harry said, "Maybe it's better when you do it yourself, I didn't enjoy it much when Dumbledore took me along for the ride."

"You get used to it," Bryt said.

"It's really not all that bad," Hermione added.

"I forgot you lot have already done it," Ron said, looking a bit crestfallen. Bryt looped her arm through his as they walked, "I'd better pass my test first time. Fred and George did."

"Charlie failed, though, didn't he?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, but Charlie's bigger than me. So Fred and George didn't go on about it much...not to his face anyway..."

"I'm sure you'll do great, Ron," Bryt said, "You'll pass."

"When can we take the test?" Hermione asked.

"Soon as we're seventeen," Ron said, "That's only March for me!"

"Hermione can take hers whenever she wants," Bryt said, grinning at her bushy-haired friend.

"Oh, I think I'll wait until I'm sure I can do it perfectly," Hermione said nervously, "After all, I'd never be able to Apparate here on school grounds anyway."

"Not the point. Everyone would know you _could_ Apparate if you wanted," Ron said, his mood improving quickly as he got a far-away look on his face.

It seemed the entire sixth year were excited about apparition. Nearly every class, free time was spent talking about it, and even within the class itself when it came to Charms—of course, Flitwick allowed students to talk among themselves all the time anyway.

Of course, Ron had to point out to other students that Bryt, Hermione, and Harry had all done side-along apparition at some point, so the rest of the afternoon went with them constantly having to explain how it felt. Bryt was glad for the end of the day when she had the excuse to go to bed.

**xxxxx**

The next morning, Bryt and Hermione were already at breakfast when Harry and Ron came down. Bryt glanced to make sure Lavender wasn't around before kissing Ron lightly on the cheek in greeting.

"So, Harry," Hermione said, "What did you learn from Dumbledore last night?"

Bryt turned to Harry, eager for news. Harry leaned forward to whisper after he finished putting some eggs and sausage on his plate.

"He showed me two memories last night," he whispered, "The first one, Voldemort was sixteen, he went back to the village his mother lived near and killed his father and grandparents, then put the blame on his uncle, Morfin."

Bryt shook her head, though she didn't find it very surprising. They knew well enough what Voldemort was like—even as a child, thanks to Harry's lessons with Dumbledore. He obviously wanted to destroy any link to his Muggle roots and putting the blame on a pureblood supremacist wouldn't have been that hard.

"He also showed me a memory of Slughorn's," Harry said and Bryt stared at him in shock, "It was when Voldemort was still in school. He had asked Slughorn about something called Horcruxes, but Slughorn claimed not to know and chased him away. Dumbledore said the memory's been tampered with, though. He wants me to try and get the real one from Slughorn."

"Probably why he brought Slughorn to teach here in the first place," Bryt said, "Though I doubt getting the memory will be easy."

"Maybe you should just ask him," Ron said, "After all, you're his Potions Prince. Won't refuse you anything, will he?"

"I don't know," Hermione said, "He must be determined to hide what really happened if Dumbledore couldn't get it out of him." Hermione frowned. "Horcruxes..._Horcruxes_...I've never even heard of them..."

Bryt stared at Hermione in shock as Harry looked disappointed. Hermione knew more about the magical world than most who grew up in it. For her to not know what something was either meant it was either incredibly rare or incredibly dangerous—or both.

"They must be really advanced Dark Magic," Hermione said, "Or why else would Voldemort have wanted to know about them? I think it's going to be very difficult to get the information. You'll have to be very careful about how you approach Slughorn, think out a strategy..."

"I was just going to ask him after Potions this afternoon, like Ron suggested," Harry said.

"Bet you it won't work," Bryt said. She agreed with Hermione. If Dumbledore couldn't get this memory, she doubted Harry could that easily.

Harry, however, seemed to think it was the best tactic to start with by the time they went to Potions that afternoon. Bryt knew the attempt was going to end in disaster, but didn't say anything to him as they sat down at their table, Hermione actually sitting close to them again.

"Settle down, settle down, please!" Slughorn called as he came into the room and went to his desk, "Quickly now, lots of work to get through this afternoon! Golpalott's Third Law...Who can tell me—But Miss Watkins can, of course!"

Hermione pouted as she lowered her hand, but Bryt had been the quickest this time. She straightened herself up with a grin.

"Golpalott's Third Law is that the antidote for a blended poison will be equal to more than the sum of the antidotes for each of the separate components."

"Precisely!" Slughorn said happily, "Ten points for Gryffindor! Now, if we accept Golpalott's Third Law is as true, which means, of course, that assuming we have achieved correct identification of the potion's ingredients by Scarpin's Revelaspell, our primary aim is not the relatively simple one of selecting antidotes to those ingredients in and of themselves, but to find that added component that will, by an almost alchemical process, transform these disparate elements. And so, I want each of you to come and take one of these phials from my desk. You are to create an antidote for the poison within it before the end of the lesson. Good luck, and don't forget your protective gloves!"

Bryt was excited for this lesson as she took her phial and sat back down at the table. They were doing more than just brewing a potion—not that Bryt didn't enjoy that. This time, they were getting to experiment. She was going to have to figure this out on her own, learn what was in her poison and create her own antidote. Experimentation was what liked the most about Potions—and what she felt she did the best in.

"It's a shame that the Prince won't be able to help you much with this, Harry," Hermione whispered happily when Harry and Ron returned with their phials, "You have to understand the principles involved this time. No shortcuts or cheats!"

Bryt started grinning herself. She had relied on Harry's Potions book to learn things she didn't about how to improve potions, but she had the potions talent to begin with. She had often been annoyed at how Slughorn practically ignored other people's hard work because Harry used a cheat sheet when he otherwise wouldn't be nearly as good. This time, Harry wasn't going to get that chance.

Bryt kept her head down, working hard on her antidote. There was a lot more work to it than she first thought and as class went on, she seriously doubted she'd be able to figure it out in the short time given.

It turned out she was right. By the time Slughorn called for them to stop, Bryt's cauldron was filled with a concoction of at least twenty different ingredients and looked like a bubbling mix of cat litter. She was sure she was on the right track, however, and knew she could have gotten it in time. She just hoped Slughorn would give her credit for that.

"And you, Harry," Slughorn turned towards Harry first when he reached their table, "What have you got to show me?"

Instead of pointing to a cauldron or showing a phial of potion, Harry held out his hand and Bryt noticed he was holding a bezoar—a stone that could be used to hold off most poisons. Slughorn started laughing.

"You've got nerve, boy!" he said, holding up the bezoar, "Oh, you're like your mother. Well, I can't fault you...A bezoar would certainly act as an antidote to all these potions!"

Slughorn turned away and Bryt glared, anger bubbling inside her. He wasn't even going to bother looking at her work, or even Hermione's, because Harry decided to be cheeky.

"And you thought of a bezoar all by yourself, did you, Harry?" Hermione snapped.

This was just great. Bryt finally had a chance to show her work without being ignored because of Harry being the favorite, and once again, she was being ignored. For someone Slughorn liked and wanted in his club, he sure did a lot to never pay attention to Bryt in class.

"That's the individual spirit a real potion-maker needs!" Slughorn said and Bryt huffed in annoyance, "Just like his mother, she had the same intuitive grasp of potion-making, it's undoubtedly from Lily he gets it...Yes, Harry, yes, if you've got a bezoar to hand, of course that would do the trick...Although as they don't work on everything, and are pretty rare, it's still worth knowing how to mix antidotes."

Though he didn't sound at all like he was criticizing Harry or that Harry needed to learn antidote-making. He was still chuckling to himself, which made Bryt even angrier. When class ended, Bryt shoved her things into her bag and stomped off without a word to Harry, with Hermione and Ron following right behind. She now found herself hoping rather than knowing that Harry failed in his attempt to get the memory from Slughorn. It would serve him right.

**xxxxx**

Like Bryt suspected, Harry had failed to get the memory from Slughorn. She didn't show him any pity, neither did Ron or Hermione. After a couple of days, however, things went back to normal between them. Bryt could finally stop using the wrap around her hand—and noticed she now had a scar going across the palm—though she still kept gloves on during Quidditch practices for a while, not wanting to risk bothering the wound so soon after healing.

Not a week went by without Harry asking if there was another Slug Club party—he probably figured it'd be better to get the memory from Slughorn if he attended the parties more. Thankfully for Bryt, however, there hadn't been another come up.

As February came, so did the first apparition lesson. Bryt was looking forward to it as she and her friends went down to the Great Hall, where the tables had all been removed. Bryt noticed every sixth year student was there, as well as the four Heads of Houses and a man Bryt had never seen before. He was short and thin and looked frail, as if he'd fall apart at any moment. Bryt wondered if he had the nerves to teach a group of teenagers every week for several months.

"Good morning," the man said brightly once everyone was quiet, "My name is Wilkie Twycross and I shall be your Ministry apparition instructor for the next twelve weeks. I hope to be able to prepare you for your apparition Tests in this time—"

"Malfoy, be quiet and pay attention!" McGonagall snapped. Bryt turned to see Malfoy seemed to be arguing with Crabbe, though he backed away quickly, looking annoyed. Bryt smirked, glad to see Malfoy getting himself into trouble, before turning back to Twycross, who was still talking as if he hadn't been interrupted.

"—by which time, many of you may be ready to take your tests.

"As you may know, it is usually impossible to Apparate or Disapparate within Hogwarts. The headmaster has lifted his enchantment, purely within the Great Hall, for one hour, so as to enable you to practice. May I emphasize that you will not be able to Apparate outside the walls of this Hall, and that you would be unwise to try.

"I would like each of you to place yourselves now so they you have a clear five feet of space in front of you."

Bryt started to space herself away from the others, then noticed Harry pushing himself through the crowd.

"Harry, where are you going?" Hermione called, but Harry didn't answer, disappearing between two Hufflepuffs.

Bryt stared after him, confused, but Twycross called for attention again and Bryt turned back to the front of the room.

"Thank you. Now then..." Twycross waved his wand, conjuring hoops five feet in front of each student, "The important things to remember when Apparating are the three D's! Destination, Determination, Deliberation!

"Step one: Fix your mind firmly upon the desired _destination_. In this case, the interior of your hoop. Kindly concentrate upon that destination now."

Bryt stared in front of her, thinking about how actually Apparating was going to be quite different than side-along. She had always just took someone's arm and let them do the work. They always made it seem so easy.

Bryt tried to clear her mind, staring at the hoop in front of her. She just had to focus on being in that hoop. How hard could it be?

"Step two: focus on your determination to occupy the visualized space!" Twycross said, "Let your yearning to enter it flood from your mind to every particle of your body!"

'_Bit dramatic, isn't he?'_ Bryt thought, her gaze still locked on the hoop in front of her.

"Step three: And only when I give the command...Turn on the spot, feeling your way into nothingness, and move with _deliberation_! On my command now, one...Two...THREE!"

Bryt squeezed her eyes shut, her mind only on being in the hoop in front of her, and spun around. She let out a yelp as she lost balance, and the next thing she knew, she was staring up at the rain coming down on the enchanted ceiling and Ron leaned over her, laughing as he held out a hand to help her up.

"Glad you're amused," Bryt said, taking Ron's hand and letting him pull her to her feet. She looked around and saw at least every other member of their sixth year hadn't managed to Apparate. No one else had fallen over, though.

"Never mind, never mind," Twycross called, obviously expecting this result, "Adjust your hoops, please, and back to your original positions."

Two more attempts and no one Apparated, but at least Bryt managed to stay on her feet. The fourth attempt, however, was interrupted with a loud scream. Bryt spun around, then covered her mouth, feeling both sick and horrified. Susan Bones was standing in her hoop, but only on one leg. Her other was still five feet behind her where she had begun. The four House Heads rushed to her and, with a loud bang and puff of smoke, Susan was whole again and sobbing. Bryt couldn't blame her.

"Splinching, or the separation of random body parts," Twycross said calmly, "Occurs when the mind is insufficiently determined. You must concentrate continuously upon your destination, and move, without haste, but with deliberation...thus."

Twycross spun on the spot and disappeared, only to reappear at the back of the Great Hall.

"Remember the three D's. And try again. One—two—three—"

Bryt sighed, trying not to think about Susan's splinching herself as she concentrated on the hoop in front of her. An hour later, however, nothing more happened than people making themselves dizzy. Twycross released them with a reminder to focus on the three D's and he'd see them next week.

"So, how'd you do?" Ron asked Harry once he, Bryt, and Hermione caught back up to him, "I think I felt something that last time I tried—a kind of tingling in my feet."

"Apparating never tingled with me," Bryt said, "More like a suffocating pressure."

"I didn't feel anything," Harry said, walking quickly up the stairs, "But I don't care abo that now."

"What?" Bryt asked, "You don't care about Apparating?"

"I'm not fussed, really, I prefer flying," Harry said, "Look, hurry up, will you, there's something I want to do..."

Harry didn't give them any other warning as he broke into a run. Confused, the others followed as he raced to the Gryffindor common room, then up to his dormitory. Bryt and Hermione made sure no one was watching before they followed up the stairs.

When Bryt went into her friends' room, she noticed Harry digging through his trunk and Ron looking just as confused as she felt.

"Malfoy's using Crabbe and Goyle as lookouts. He was arguing with Crabbe just now. I want to know—aha!"

Harry leaned back, spreading out what looked like blank parchment. Bryt sighed, knowing what Harry was up to, and sat at the foot of Ron's bed.

"_I solemnly swear that I am up to no good_," Harry said, tapping the parchment with his wand, "Or Malfoy is anyway."

Bryt watched as Harry spread the parchment, which had now turned into a map of Hogwarts, on the bed.

"Help me find Malfoy," Harry said.

Bryt leaned over, staring at the mass of black dots labeled with random names. She spotted Drew's name at one point, in an empty classroom with his two friends, Owen and Kevin. Probably just hanging out somewhere away from their common room since they couldn't go outside in this rain.

"_There_!" Ron said, pointing to a point of the map, "He's in the Slytherin common room, look...With Parkinson and Zabini and Crabbe and Goyle..."

Harry frowned, clearing the map and folding it back up.

"Well, I'm keeping an eye on him from now on," Harry said and Bryt fought to roll her eyes. She knew Malfoy was up to something, she couldn't deny that. But Harry was obsessed with finding out what.

"And the moment I see him lurking somewhere with Crabbe and Goyle keeping watch outside," Harry went on, "It'll be on with the old Invisibility Cloak and off to find out what he's—"

The door opened and Bryt looked up to see Neville come in. He stopped in the doorway, staring in surprise at Bryt and Hermione there. Both excused themselves and left the room quickly. Harry and Ron could figure out some excuse why the girls were up there.


	24. The Worst Birthday

The first of March was a bright and clear day—perfect for Ron's birthday, in Bryt's opinion. It was just a disappointment that the Hogsmeade trip had been cancelled. Now all they had was an Apparation lesson in the morning, then the rest of the day to do whatever. Maybe she and Ron could get their brooms and do some flying down at the pitch or something, just spend the afternoon to themselves for a while...

Bryt was waiting by the porthole after Hermione had already left for breakfast. It wasn't long before Harry and Ron came down, but Bryt could already tell something was wrong. Both were still in their pajamas, Harry had Ron by the arm, and Ron had a weird look on his face.

"What's going on?" Bryt asked, hurrying over to them.

"Ron accidently swallowed some love potion-spiked cauldron cakes someone gave me months ago," Harry said, "I'm taking him to Slughorn."

"He _what_?" Bryt asked, horrified, following behind them, "He swallowed _love potion_?"

"I meant to toss the things months ago, but I forgot," Harry said sheepishly, "Sorry."

Bryt glared at him. Her boyfriend was now obsessed with who-knows what girl all because Harry was careless with a batch of spiked sweets. Didn't he pay any attention to what he was doing?

"Just so y'know," Bryt said irritably, "Anythin' Ron does, I'm blamin' _you_ for."

"Ron's the one who ate the cauldron cakes!"

"Because _you_ were too stupid t'toss love potion," Bryt snapped, "Instead, y'just kept 'em around."

Harry muttered something under his breath but before Bryt could reply, they had reached Slughorn's office. Ron started looking very excited and Bryt turned her glare to Harry again. This was his fault. If Harry had just tossed the cauldron cakes when he got them, Bryt wouldn't be dealing with her boyfriend obsessing over some other girl.

Slughorn answered his door, still in his pajamas and looking confused.

"Harry, Miss Watkins," he muttered, obviously having just woke up, "This is very early for a call...I generally sleep late on a Saturday..."

"Professor, I'm really sorry to disturb you—"

"But Harry let my boyfriend eat sweets spiked with love potion," Bryt said, her arms crossed over her chest, "I ain't got ingredients t'do an antidote myself."

"And Madam Pomfrey would ask too many questions," Harry said, "We're not supposed to have anything from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, you know..."

"I can't see her, Harry—is he hiding her?" Ron asked, pushing down on Harry's shoulder to try and stare past him and Slughorn. Bryt glared at Harry again. This was his fault.

"Was this potion within date?" Slughorn asked, staring at Ron as if he were an experiment, "They can strengthen, you know, the longer they're kept."

"Harry got the things months ago," Bryt snapped, "He shoulda tossed 'em."

"It's his birthday, Professor," Harry said quickly.

"Oh, all right, come in, then, come in," Slughorn said, "I've got the necessary here in my bag, it's not a difficult antidote..."

Bryt followed the others in, Ron practically knocking the others over. He tripped on a stool, then quickly got to his feet and looked around.

"She didn't see that, did she?" he asked. Bryt huffed, her arms still crossed over her chest. Harry looked like he might laugh, but his expression went blank when he caught Bryt's glare.

"She's not here yet," Harry said.

"That's good. How do I look?"

"Like an idiot," Bryt muttered as Slughorn said "Very good" while handing Ron a glass of clear liquid.

"Now drink up," he went on, "It's a tonic for the nerves, keep you calm when she arrives, you know."

"Brilliant!" Ron said, chugging the potion in one gulp. He continued to grin goofily for a moment, then started looking horrified before slumping into a chair.

"About time," Bryt muttered, then sat on the arm of the chair and patted Ron on the shoulder. Ron glanced at her and looked even more horrified, probably realizing that Bryt had been there for most of his antics.

"Don't worry, I don't blame you," Bryt said with a grin, then glared over at Harry, who suddenly focused his attention on Slughorn, who was going through a table of bottles.

"Pick-me-up, that's what he needs," Slughorn said, "I've got butterbeer, I've got wine, I've got one last bottle of this oak-matured mead...hm...meant to give that to Dumbledore for Christmas...ah, well. He can't miss what he's never had! Why don't we open it now and celebrate Mr. Weasley's birthday? Nothing like a fine spirit to chase away the pangs of disappointed love..."

"I think he does quite fine with love without potions," Bryt said, though Slughorn just seemed to ignore her as he poured the glasses.

"There you are, then," Slughorn said, passing around full glasses of the mead—Ron downed his instantly, "Well, a very happy birthday, Ralph—"

"_RON_!" Bryt shrieked in horror, jumping to her feet and dropping her glass.

Ron had done some sort of spasm in his chair, then slumped out of it to the floor, twitching and starting to foam at the mouth. Bryt couldn't move, feeling as if she were just thrown into a blizzard in nothing but her underwear, that nauseating cold that seemed to sink right to her bones.

Her mind was screaming at her to move, to rush forward to Ron and do something, anything, but she couldn't. She felt as if she were trapped in her own body, unable to control it no matter how much her mind screamed at her.

Harry suddenly appeared on Ron's other side, forcing Ron's mouth open and shoving something down his throat. A second later, Ron gave one last twitch, then gasped for breath before falling still.

Bryt jerked forward, dropping to her knees. She reached out towards Ron, dimly aware of how hard she was trembling, the kind of sick-causing shakes that came with a bad cold when a fever ran high. Bryt slowly reached out, checking for any sign of a pulse.

"Thank God," she muttered, slumping backwards, feeling as if every ounce of energy drained out of her in a second. He was alive.

Slughorn told Harry and Bryt to watch Ron while he went for help. Bryt barely heard him. She had pulled her bracelet from her wrist and was grasping it so hard her knuckles were turning white. Her entire body was shaking so hard she felt cold and nauseous. She'd gone through so much in the past several years—facing a three-headed dog, going through a deadly chess game with no idea what was going on, went after a man she thought was a mass murderer at the time, faced a hundred dementors, and been in a fight for her life. But never had she been as terrified as she was now. She knew if she could cry, there would have been no way she could have stopped the tears, but none came.

Bryt thought she heard Harry say something, but she didn't pay enough attention to make out what. She barely moved, never took her eyes off Ron, even when McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey had arrived. Bryt slowly pulled herself to her feet as Harry explained what happened. She was finally starting to get where she wasn't shaking, but she still felt cold and nauseous. She followed the others without a word as Ron was taken to the hospital wing, but as they got there, Madam Pomfrey refused to let Bryt and Harry inside.

It was like a switch was suddenly flipped inside of Bryt. The fear was gone, instead she felt herself go tense. Bryt let out a frustrated groan, turning away from the door. This was not how she'd wanted to spend Ron's birthday.

"Bryt?"

Bryt spun around to see Harry staring at her, a concerned look on his face. She felt herself tense more, gripping her hands into fists.

"Don' talk t'me," Bryt hissed, spinning away and began pacing the hall in front of the hospital wing door.

"What?"

"I said don' talk t'me," Bryt snapped, "Ron wouldn' be in there if it weren' fer you. Don' talk t'me."

Harry didn't say anything and Bryt was grateful. She continued to pace back and forth, at some point slipping her bracelet from her wrist and gripping it in her hands. After a few minutes, she found herself wishing Harry _would_ speak. It would give her an excuse to yell at him. She wanted to yell, to do _something_. She didn't like being locked out of the hospital wing while Ron was in there.

Bryt continued pacing, grumbling to herself as she paced around. The scene in Slughorn's office kept replying in her mind, as well as a question she didn't want to think of:

What would happen if Madam Pomfrey couldn't heal Ron?

'_No. She'll heal him,'_ Bryt thought desperately, _'She can heal nearly anything and we got Ron here in time.'_

If only Harry had paid attention to what he was doing that morning. If he had only not let Ron eat those spiked cauldron cakes...

Bryt huffed in annoyance, glaring at the wall near her and increased her pacing. She should be enjoying today. Go out flying with Ron, complain about how there's no Hogsmeade visit, steal food off of each other's plates like they did nearly every meal. Not be standing outside the hospital wing, waiting for any news of how Ron was doing. All because Harry had been so careless...

Bryt spent the entire day outside of the hospital wing, ignoring Harry—not that he made it hard, he never tried to start any conversation with her. The only time she spoke was to explain to others what had happened—first to Hermione and Ginny, then to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley when they arrived around seven, though after getting to visit Ron briefly, they were whisked off to Dumbledore's office.

Not long after, Madam Pomfrey finally allowed them to come in and visit Ron, even though she told them that he was still unconscious. Bryt dropped into a chair by the bed the second she reached it, staring at Ron in the bed. He looked a little better than he had in Slughorn's office, though he still seemed pale. Madam Pomfrey told them that Ron would be okay, but he was going to be kept in the hospital wing for the next week.

Relief went through Bryt as she slumped back in the chair, sighing. She reached out and grabbed Ron's hand once Madam Pomfrey was out of sight while Ginny took another chair and Harry and Hermione sat on the other side of the bed.

"See, Bryt? Ron'll be fine," Harry said meekly. Bryt glared at him.

"I'm still mad at you," she snapped.

"Bryt—"

"Don't, Hermione," Bryt cut her friend off, "What would y'do if it were Julio layin' here? Or Dean?" Bryt added when she noticed Ginny look like she was going to say something. Hermione frowned, but Ginny just stared back defiantly.

"I wouldn't be blaming Harry," she said sharply, "It was an accident."

"That nearly killed Ron."

"And if this hadn't have happened, Professor Slughorn would have been alone when he drank that mead."

Bryt turned away quickly, staring at Ron on the bed. She knew Ginny was right—after all, the thought had been in the back of her head for a while now—but she hadn't wanted to face it. She wanted a reason to be angry at someone, anyone. So she took it out on Harry.

"Sorry," Bryt muttered, leaning forward in her chair. Ginny was right. Despite how horrible the day had been, it was, in a twisted way, a stroke of luck. If all this had not have happened, Slughorn would most likely have died whenever it was he decided to drink that bottle of mead. And as much as Bryt hated the way Slughorn played favorites and ignored students not up to his standards, she still thought he was probably a decent guy at heart. And she definitely would never have wished him dead.

Bryt sighed and ran her thumb over the back of Ron's hand. At least he would be okay. Ron was alive and would be awake again soon.


	25. A Long Night

Not long after, Fred and George arrived in the hospital wing, which surprised Bryt. When they came over, Bryt gave a very brief explanation while George put a wrapped box on the bedside table.

"So all in all, not one of Ron's better birthdays?" Fred asked. Bryt rolled her eyes. That was an understatement.

"This isn't how we imagined handing over our present," George went on.

"Yeah, when we pictured the scene, he was conscious."

"There we were in Hogsmeade, waiting to surprise him—"

"Sofí didn't tell you visits were canceled?" Bryt asked, confused. She had written to Sofí about that the week before and she was sure Sofí would have complained about not visiting her friends to almost anyone.

"We haven't exactly gotten to talk to her much," George said, "Too busy with the shop."

"Though visiting Hogsmeade wasn't just for Ron," Fred added, "We were thinking of buying Zonko's. A Hogsmeade branch, you know, but a fat lot of good it'll do us if you lot aren't allowed out at weekends to buy our stuff anymore...But never mind that now. How exactly did it happen, Harry?"

Bryt glanced at Fred and George as Harry started retelling the story again. She noticed the twins staring at Ron and couldn't help but think of how strange that they actually looked worried. Fred and George had always reminded her of Sofí, the types who were always joking and happy. She'd only ever seen them worried one other time, and that had been in their second year when Ginny had disappeared into the Chamber of Secrets.

"...and then I got the bezoar down his throat and his breathing eased up a bit," Harry finished, "Slughorn ran for help, McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey turned up, and they brought Ron up here. They reckon he'll be all right. Madam Pomfrey says he'll have to stay here a week or so...keep taking essence of rue..."

"Blimey, it was lucky you thought of a bezoar," George said weakly.

"Lucky there was one in the room," Harry replied.

Bryt tightened her grip around Ron's hand momentarily. She tried to push away the thoughts trying to creep into her head. Ron was fine. There was no reason to allow herself to think of what might have happened.

"Do Mum and Dad know?" Fred asked.

"They've already seen him, they arrived about an hour ago," Ginny replied, "They're in Dumbledore's office now, but they'll be back soon."

"So the poison was in the drink?" Fred asked, his voice still quiet.

"Yeah," Bryt said weakly, "Slughorn gave it to us—"

"Would he have been able to slip it into Ron's glass without you seeing?"

"Probably," Harry said, "But why would Slughorn want to poison Ron?"

"No idea...You don't think he could have mixed up the glasses by mistake? Meaning to get you?"

"Why would Slughorn want to poison Harry?" Ginny asked.

"I don't think he would," Bryt said, wanting desperately to follow this conversation. She wanted to know why Ron was poisoned and who was behind it. "The poison could have been meant for Slughorn. Dumbledore did say that Voldemort isn't too happy with Slughorn, he's been in hiding ever since Voldemort came back."

"But Harry said Slughorn had been planning to give that bottle to Dumbledore for Christmas," Ginny said, "So the poison could just as easily have been after Dumbledore."

"Then the poisoner didn't know Slughorn very well," Hermione spoke up, "Anyone who knew Slughorn would have known there was a good chance he'd keep something that tasty for himself."

The doors opened and Bryt looked up to see Hagrid coming in, soaked from the rain and carrying his crossbow.

"Bin in the forest all day!" Hagrid said, making his way over, "Aragog's worse, I bin readin' to him—didn' get up ter dinner till jus' now an' then Professor Sprout told me abou' Ron! How is he?"

"Madam Pomfrey says he'll be fine in a few days," Bryt said.

"I don' believe this," Hagrid said, shaking his head, though he looked relieved, "Jus' don' believe it...Look at him lyin' there...Who'd want ter hurt him, eh?"

Bryt glanced back at Ron for a second, frowning. More than anything, she wanted him to wake up. She wanted to talk with him, tell jokes...Hell, she'd even taking arguing with him at the moment.

"That's just what we were discussing," Harry said to Hagrid, "We don't know."

"Someone couldn' have a grudge against the Gryffindor Quidditch team, could they?" Hagrid asked, "Firs' Katie, now Ron..."

"I can't see anyone trying to bump off a Quidditch team," George said.

"Wood might've done the Slytherins if he couldn't gotten away with it," Fred replied.

"And they knew Ron would just happen to swallow love potion and end up in Slughorn's office?" Bryt asked, finding the idea insane.

"I don't think it's Quidditch, but there's definitely a connection between the attacks," Hermione spoke up.

"How do you know?" Bryt asked.

"Well, for one thing, they both ought to have been fatal and weren't, although that was pure luck."

"I don't need the reminder," Bryt muttered, staring at Ron, trying to ignore the memory of him twitching horribly on the floor of Slughorn's office.

"And for another," Hermione went on, but Bryt noticed her giving her a worried look, "Neither the poison nor the necklace seems to have reached the person who was supposed to be killed. Of course, that makes the person behind this even more dangerous in a way, because they don't seem to care how many people they finish off before they actually reach their victim."

Bryt glared in front of her, about to say that once she found out who was behind this, she would strangle them, but doors opened again and Bryt turned to see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley hurrying over to the group. Bryt couldn't blame them. They had stayed just barely long enough to be told that Ron would recover before they headed for Dumbledore's office earlier. Mrs. Weasley pulled Harry into a hug the second she reached him.

"Dumbledore's told us how you saved him with the bezoar," Mrs. Weasley said through sobs, "Oh, Harry, what can we say? You saved Ginny...You saved Arthur...now you've saved Ron..."

"Don't be...I didn't..." Harry muttered, looking like he desperately wanted to disappear.

"Half our family does seem to owe you their lives, now I stop and think about it," Mr. Weasley said, "Well, all I can say is that it was a lucky day for the Weasleys when Ron decided to sit in your compartment on the Hogwarts Express, Harry."

Harry looked dumbfounded and was spared having to say anything as Madam Pomfrey hurried over, telling everyone that only six were allowed to visit at a time. Bryt wanted to stay, she wanted to wait for when Ron finally woke up, but Hermione convinced her that the Weasleys should be alone at the moment. Unwillingly, Bryt rose to her feet and followed the others out of the room. As she walked, she felt light-headed and weak, as if her legs were made of jelly. For the first time, she realized she hadn't eaten anything since dinner the night before. She was just about to check if she had any butterscotch candy sticks left in her mini-backpack when Hagrid spoke up again.

"It's terrible," Hagrid said, his voice sounding like a growl deep in his throat, "All this new security, an' kids are still gettin' hurt...Dumbledore's worried sick...He don' say much, but I can tell..."

"Hasn't he got _any_ ideas, Hagrid?" Hermione asked.

"I 'spect he's got hundreds of ideas, brain like his," Hagrid said, "But he doesn' know who sent that necklace nor put poison in that wine, or they'd've bin caught, wouldn' they?" Hagrid glanced around and dropped his voice to a whisper as a ghost drifted by—Bryt instinctively stepped so her friends were between her and the ghost. "Wha' worries me is how long Hogwarts can stay open if kids are bein' attacked. Chamber o' Secrets all over again, isn' it? There'll be panic, more parents takin' their kids outta school, an' nex' thing yeh know the board o' governors'll be talkin' about shuttin' us up fer good."

Bryt frowned, thinking back to how worried her mother got about the dangers going on. She was a Muggle, but she still knew something was wrong. She knew the dangers, but she let Bryt, Mike, and Drew come to Hogwarts because she thought it was safe. If she knew how dangerous things were getting even here...

"Gotta see it from their point o' view," Hagrid went on, "I mean, it's always bin a bit of a risk sendin' a kid ter Hogwarts, hasn' it? Yer expect accidents, don' yeh, with hundreds of underage wizards all locked up tergether, but attempted murder, tha's diff'rent. 'S'no wonder Dumbledore's angry with Sn—"

Hagrid suddenly cut himself off, stopping in the middle of the hall and looking as if he just realized how much he had said. Bryt was more curious than ever now. What was going on with Snape?

"What?" Harry asked, obviously catching the slip as well, "Dumbledore's angry with Snape?"

"I never said tha'," Hagrid said quickly, looking as if he wanted to get away as quickly as possible, "Look at the time, it's gettin' on fer midnight, I need ter—"

"What's Snape done?" Bryt asked, stepping forward.

"I dunno, I shouldn'ta heard it at all!" Hagrid said, though he looked as if he didn't want to admit any of this—he probably knew the others wouldn't let up until he spilled, "I—well, I was comin' outta the forest the other evenin' an' I overheard 'em talking—well, arguin'. Didn't like ter draw attention to meself, so I sorta skulked an' tried not ter listen, but it was a—well, a heated discussion an' it wasn' easy ter block it out."

"Well?" Harry and Bryt asked together. Hagrid looked even more uncomfortable.

"Well—I jus' heard Snape sayin' Dumbledore took too much fer granted an' maybe he—Snape—didn' want ter do it anymore—"

"Do what?" Harry asked.

"I dunno, Harry, it sounded like Snape was feelin' a bit overworked, tha's all—anyway, Dumbledore told him flat out he'd agreed ter do it an' that was all there was to it. Pretty firm with him. An' then he said summat abou' Snape makin' investigations in his House, in Slytherin."

Bryt glanced over at Harry and Hermione, it clear they were thinking the same thing she was. Dumbledore thought someone in Slytherin was up to something.

"Well, there's nothin' strange about that!" Hagrid said, "All the Heads o' Houses were asked ter look inter that necklace business—"

"Yeah, but Dumbledore's not having rows with the rest of them, is he?" Harry asked.

"Look," Hagrid said, "I know what yeh're like abou' Snape, Harry, an' I don' want yeh ter go readin' more inter this than there is."

"Look out," Hermione hissed.

Bryt followed her friend's gaze to see Filch nearby, looking almost beside himself with glee.

"Oho! Out of bed so late, this'll mean detention!"

"No it won', Filch," Hagrid said, "They're with me, aren' they?"

"And what difference does that make?"

"I'm a ruddy teacher, aren' I, yeh sneakin' Squib!"

Filch seemed to puff up angrily as his cat, Mrs. Norris, let out a nasty-sounding hiss. Hagrid told the others to get going quickly and none of them argued. Bryt, Harry, and Hermione broke into a run as Hagrid and Filch began yelling at each other. They passed Peeved at one point, who looked delighted at the trouble and determined to add to it.

When they reached the Gryffindor common room, Bryt was relieved to see it was empty. The news about Ron hadn't gotten out yet so no one was there to start asking questions. Hermione headed on up to bed, but Bryt was still restless. She and Harry remained in the common room, making their way over to the fireplace. Harry looked lost in thought and Bryt could tell he was thinking about what Hagrid had told them about. Dumbledore and Snape had been arguing. Snape wasn't wanting to do something...but what?

"There you are, Potter!"

Bryt and Harry both jumped to their feet, reaching for their wands. Behind them, McLaggen started to get up from a nearby armchair, seeming to ignore the fact that Harry and Bryt had their wands aimed at him, "Must've fallen asleep. Look, I saw them take Weasley up to the hospital wing earlier. Didn't look like he'll be fit for next week's match."

"What is _wrong_ with you?" Bryt snapped, gripping her wand tightly, "Ron's in the hospital wing, an' all yeh care 'bout is _playin' Quidditch_?"

"Well, he's okay now, isn't he?" McLaggen replied, "So will he play Saturday or not?"

"Y'selfish bastard!" Bryt snapped, starting forward, but was suddenly jerked backwards as Harry grabbed her arms from behind.

"Bryt, calm down," Harry hissed and Bryt responded by stomping on his foot. Harry yelped, but kept his grip and yanked Bryt towards the stairs to the girls' dormitories. He pushed Bryt into the doorway, then stood there, blocking the path. Bryt saw McLaggen nearby, his arms crossed over his chest and staring at Bryt as if he thought she was insane.

"Move, Harry," Bryt hissed.

"No," Harry replied, "Listen, he's an idiot, but you don't need to end up in detention—"

"It'll be worth it."

"Just let me deal with him, okay?" Harry asked with a sigh. Bryt glared at McLaggen, then looked at Harry, who seemed to be almost begging her. Finally, she sighed.

"Fine," she said sharply, "But I'm warnin' you, if he ends up on the team, it ain't gonna turn out good."

Bryt spun around with that and stomped up the stairs, leaving Harry standing in the doorway behind her.


	26. Quidditch Problems

The next week was rough for Bryt She did have good points to the week, however. She was, luckily, not hounded by others for information on Ron. Since he was being kept in the Hogwarts hospital wing instead of being sent to St. Mungo's, and the fact he was gotten help so quickly, there wasn't as much controversy over his attack as there had been with Katie. Ron had woken up the day after his admittance to the hospital wing and Bryt spent most of her time visiting him.

What was causing Bryt so much trouble was her constant fighting strong urges to beat McLaggen into unconsciousness. He had been added to the team temporarily while Ron was recovering, but McLaggen seemed to take the position as if he'd been crowned High Ruler of All Quidditch. Bryt, Harry, and Hermione couldn't walk down a single hallway without McLaggen trying to talk to Harry about how he was the better Keeper and should replace Ron permanently—more often than not, Bryt had to be dragged away by Hermione in these encounters. Not a single Quidditch practice went by without McLaggen criticizing everyone's playing—especially Bryt's, probably in retaliation for her lashing out at him over wanting to take Ron's place on the team. Harry constantly had to remind McLaggen who was captain and every practice ended with Bryt wanting desperately to hit something—an amazing feat considering she played a position where all she did was hit things.

"I swear, if this keeps up, he's going to end up here in the hospital wing with you two," Bryt said the morning of the Quidditch match when she had stopped by for a visit—Ron had been joined the night before by Bryt's brother, Mike, due to his own stupidity.

"He'd deserve it," Ron said. Bryt laughed.

"I still wish I could go down," Mike grumbled nearby, "I wanted to do the commentary again!"

"It's your own fault," Bryt shot back, "You shouldn't have eaten an entire box of cockroach clusters."

"Natalie bet me she'd do my Divination homework for a month if I could!"

"Mike, you're _fourteen_, not five," Bryt said with a sigh, "You should have known better."

"I didn't think I'd still be this nauseous today," Mike said, frowning.

Bryt rolled her eyes and checked her watch.

"I should get going," she said, "I don't want to be late for the match."

"Good luck," Ron said, "Hope you hammer McLa—I mean, Hufflepuff."

Bryt laughed, then kissed Ron lightly on the cheek and ruffled up Mike's hair.

"Good luck," Mike said, "Tell Jimmy I said to knock a Hufflepuff off a broom for me."

"Will do," Bryt said, then grabbed her broom and headed off. Halfway through the castle, Bryt spun around a corner and found herself face-to-face with Malfoy.

Bryt stumbled back, then noticed two girls were with Malfoy, both looking uncomfortable.

"Watch where you're going, mudblood," Malfoy hissed.

"Shouldn't you be down at the pitch?" Bryt shot back, ignoring the name, "Or is Quidditch too good for you?"

"That's none of your business," Malfoy shot back, "You better hurry up, Gryffindor might actually win now that you've gotten rid of Weasley."

One of the girls gave a weak giggle and Bryt gripped her hands tightly. She usually would ignore Malfoy's comments, but her temper was already on edge daily thanks to McLaggen. Without thinking, Bryt stepped forward and threw her fist out, hitting Malfoy square in the gut. He doubled over and Bryt glared at him.

"One day you'll learn t'keep yer damn mouth shut," she hissed, then turned and started off down the hallway, not wanting to be late for the match. It wasn't until she was out of the castle and halfway to the pitch that she realized she hadn't been hit in the back with some curse—neither from Malfoy nor either of the girls he had with him. Bryt pushed the thought away, however, deciding it was better not to worry about it as she got to the locker rooms, hurrying inside.

"Pushing it a bit close, aren't you?" Harry asked as Bryt rushed over to pull on her Quidditch robes.

"Sorry, ran into Malfoy," Bryt said.

"What's he doing up in the castle while everyone else is down here?" Harry asked, sounding a bit too eager. Bryt stared at him as she grabbed her bat.

"I don't really care," she said, "I just want to get to the match."

Harry got an odd look on his face and for one brief moment, Bryt was afraid he would ditch the game and go running up to the castle to find Malfoy. Luckily, he instead turned and told everyone it was time to head out. Bryt swung her broom over her shoulder, carrying her bat in her other hand as she followed the others outside. The day was bright with very little wing, though it was still a bit cloudy. Bryt shaded her eyes as she looked around at the crowds, wondering where Hermione was, or Drew and his friends.

"Tricky conditions!" McLaggen said nearby, "Watkins, Peakes—"

"I swear, if you're about to tell me again how to play Beater, I'm going to ram this bat up your ass," Bryt snapped.

McLaggen glared, but at least kept his mouth shut. Probably only because they had reached the center of the field where Madam Hooch and the Hufflepuff team were waiting. Harry shook hands with the Hufflepuff captain, then Madam Hooch gave the signal and they were off.

Bryt immediately scouted the area, looking for the nearest Bludger. She had just found one and sent it flying across the field when she heard who was commentating and nearly fell off her broom in shock.

"And that's Smith of Hufflepuff with the Quaffle," Luna Lovegood's voice echoed through the air, "He's always quite rude, I've never liked him much—oh, look, he's lost the Quaffle, Ginny took it from him, I do like her, she's very nice."

Bryt laughed. Seemed like this would be an enjoyable match. She turned and flew across the field, keeping an eye on both the players and the Bludgers.

"But now that big Hufflepuff player's got the Quaffle from her, I can't remember his name, it's something like Bibble—no, Buggins—"

"It's Cadwallader!" McGonagall said loudly and Bryt had a feeling McGonagall probably wished Mike was here to commentate even more than he did.

Bryt noticed Cadwallader was racing for the goalposts, which were completely unprotected because McLaggen was currently yelling at Ginny—who seemed to be ignoring him completely. Bryt raced forward, trying to find a Bludger, but it was too late. Cadwallader scored.

"Damn it," Bryt hissed. She wished Ron was here.

Harry flew past, yelling something towards McLaggen, but Bryt didn't hear.

"And Harry Potter's now having an argument with his Keeper," Luna said, "I don't think that'll help him find the Snitch, but maybe it's a clever ruse."

It wasn't long after that before Luna seemed to lose interest in who was scoring in the match. She commentary started leaning more towards the interesting shape the clouds were taking and the fact Smith had some disease called "Loser's Lurgy" and that was why he kept losing the Quaffle.

Bryt saw a Bludger coming and raised her bat to send it flying, only to have the bat yanked from her hand from behind, along with McLaggen shouting at her that she was holding her bat wrong. Bryt spun around on her broom and gripped the bat, yanking it away. She was just about to hit McLaggen with it when something slammed hard into the back of her shoulder, sending her pitching forward as pain shot through her body and her world went black.

When Bryt opened her eyes again, she was still in pain, but it was only in her left shoulder. She was sprawled on her back, staring up at the sky above her. A moment later, she noticed Ginny and Harry both leaning over her.

"See, she's okay," Ginny was saying, though she looked slightly pale.

"What happened?" Bryt asked.

"Bludger hit you square in the back," Harry said, "I called time out and Ginny caught you, but you haven't even been unconscious a minute. Think you can get back in the game?"

"As soon as I clobber McLaggen," Bryt said. She started to push herself up, but the second she moved her left arm, pain shot through her body and her vision started to go black around the edges again, "Ugh...Maybe not..."

"Are you okay?" Harry asked.

"My entire left arm hurts," Bryt said and Ginny leaned over to help Bryt up, careful to stay to the right side of her.

Madam Hooch had arrived over at them, squatting down in front of Bryt.

"I think the Bludger broke her shoulder," Ginny said before Madam Hooch could say anything.

"We should get you to the hospital wing," Madam Hooch said, "Sorry, but you're pulled from the match."

Bryt groaned—not so much in protest, but because she couldn't get herself to say anything else. Every slight movement sent waves a pain through her left side and it was all she could do not to pass out.

Bryt was barely aware of what was happening around her for the next half hour, just that she eventually ended up in the hospital wing, her broken bone fixed in a matter of minutes.

"Great, so I can go back to the match now," Bryt said, starting to get up.

"No," Madam Pomfrey said, pushing Bryt back down onto the bed, "That Bludger hit your scarred shoulder. I want to keep an eye on you to make sure there won't be any lasting damage."

"But I feel fine!" Bryt said, proving her point by swinging her left arm in a circle like a windmill.

"You're staying here," Madam Pomfrey said sternly and Bryt groaned, slumping back on the bed, crossing her arms over her chest. Madam Pomfrey stood there a moment longer, as if waiting to see if Bryt would try to leave, then turned and walked off towards her office.

Bryt looked over to see Ron staring at her with that same worried look he always had whenever Bryt got herself hurt. Bryt was just about to reassure him that she was fine when she noticed Mike was asleep in his bed nearby.

"Is Mike okay?" Bryt asked, sitting up straighter on her bed.

"Yeah, he's fine," Ron said, "He started getting sick again not long after you left, Madam Pomfrey gave him a potion and he's been asleep since."

Bryt sighed and checked to make sure Madam Pomfrey wasn't coming back before she went over and sat on the foot of Ron's bed.

"I'm going to kill McLaggen," she said simply.

"I don't blame you," Ron said, "I heard the commentary. I bet you were pissed when he took your bat."

"Pissed enough to stop paying attention and get myself smacked in the back with a Bludger," Bryt said, then heard Luna talking about clouds in the distance. She looked towards the window, but couldn't really see the Quidditch pitch from where they were, "I hope Harry catches the Snitch fast, or else we're going to lose the game because of McLaggen. He wasn't paying any attention to the goal posts, instead trying to play everyone else's positions. I can't wait until you're back on the team."

"Oh, it seems Harry has caught he Snitch," Luna's voice came drifting through the window, "That's wonderful. I don't know what the final score was, however—"

"One-hundred ninety to one-hundred eighty, Gryffindor!" McGonagall's voice came loudly.

"Yes!" Bryt and Ron both called out together, then Bryt rushed back to her bed as she heard footsteps and Madam Pomfrey came back in, staring at them.

"Quidditch match," Bryt said, pointing to the window.

Madam Pomfrey sighed and muttered something under her breath as she left again. Bryt immediately moved back to the foot of Ron's bed.

"No offense to your brother," Ron said, looking as if he was fighting laughter, "But I hope Luna commentates from now on..._Loser's Lurgy_..."

Bryt laughed herself, starting to feel better. She and Ron spent the next several minutes theorizing different ways to take revenge on McLaggen, their conversation cutting short when the rest of the Gryffindor team—minute McLaggen himself—came in for a visit, Hermione and Drew trailing along behind them, the latter looking nervous and out-of-place. All of them were quite angry with McLaggen—Harry said that he told McLaggen he didn't care if the entire Gryffindor House was out of commotion, he wasn't going to allow McLaggen to play again.

After a while, only Harry, Ginny, and Hermione were left—though Bryt was quite sure Drew would have stayed if there wasn't such a big crowd.

"Well, at least it wasn't you getting injured this time, Harry," Bryt said with a grin.

"There's still one more match later this year," Ron pointed out, "He's not out yet."

"Honestly, it's not funny at all!" Hermione said. Bryt rolled her eyes, grinning.

"That's it!" Harry said suddenly, jumping to his feet. Bryt and the others all turned to him, confused.

"I just thought of something," Harry said, hurrying off from the room.

"What was that about?" Ron asked. Bryt frowned.

"I think I know," she said, "Harry's still obsessed with what Malfoy's been doing."

"I remember the look he got when you told him you ran into Malfoy before the match," Ginny said, "He looked like he wanted to skip the match and go back to the castle."

"He's determined to prove that Malfoy is up to something," Hermione said, "This is getting out of hand."

"There's nothing we can do about it, though," Ron said, "We've tried, but he always ignores us."

Bryt sighed, shaking her head. She had the feeling that Harry's obsession with Malfoy was going to lead to a lot of trouble in the future.


	27. Obsession

Bryt and Mike were released from the hospital wing the next day—with Mike swearing he'd never eat anything that was not meant for humans again—but Ron wasn't released until Monday. Bryt had met Ron at the hospital wing and walked with him down to the Great Hall, passing a first year girl along the way who seemed so startled that she dropped the scales she was carrying.

"I swear they're getting smaller," Ron whispered after Bryt repaired the girl's scales and the two were on their way again. Bryt just frowned in response. She would be seventeen a little more than a month, but had only recently gone through enough of a growth sport it just barely reach five feet in height. Overall, she was at most about half a foot taller than most of the first and second years at Hogwarts.

Bryt and Ron made it down to the Great Hall and sat down across from Harry and Hermione when they were obviously in the middle of a conversation.

"Yeah, well, there was no reason for Ginny and Dean to split up over it," Harry was saying, "Or are they still together?"

"Yes, they are—but why are you so interested?" Hermione asked.

"I just don't want my Quidditch team messed up again!" Harry said quickly. Bryt stared at him, starting to think over how odd Harry'd been acting any time Ginny had been mentioned over the past few months. Seemed like there was more to Harry's interest than just keeping his Quidditch team together. Bryt couldn't help but wonder what Ron would think about this.

"Harry!"

Bryt looked up to see Luna had come over to them, digging for something in her bag.

"Hey Luna," Bryt said. Luna nodded in reply as she shoved some green onion thing in Ron's hand, along with a spotted toadstool and some gray stuff that looked a lot like cat litter. Lastly, she pulled out a stained roll of parchment and handed it over to Harry.

"I've been told to give you this," Luna said. Harry took it eagerly, reading over it.

"Tonight," Harry whispered quickly.

"Nice commentary last match," Ron told Luna, handing back her belongings.

"You're making fun of me, aren't you?" Luna asked, "Everyone says I was dreadful."

"No, I'm serious! I can't remember enjoying a commentary more! What is this, by the way?" Ron asked, pointing to the green onion.

"Oh, it's a Gurdyroot," Luna said, handing it back to Ron as she put the rest of her things in her bag—Bryt vaguely wondered what the staff thought of Luna turning in assignments covered in litter stains, "You can keep it if you like, I've got a few of them. They're really excellent for warding off Gulping Plimpies."

Luna turned and left with that and Bryt shook her head.

"You know, she's grown on me, Luna," Ron said, "I know she's insane, but it's in a good way."

"I've told you that before," Bryt said, grinning at Ron.

Mike came over to them, slumping down in a chair and hiding his face in his arms he folded over the table. Bryt blinked at him in surprise. Mike rarely came over to her at meals unless he had something to say or if he was upset over something. Today looked like the latter.

"What's got you down?" Bryt asked, leaning forward to try—and fail—to get a look at her brother's face.

"Emma dumped him."

Bryt glanced up to see Jimmy sliding into the seat next to Mike, Natalie taking the spot on his other side. Bryt looked over at her friends and they seemed to take the hint. Hermione said they'd see her in class before leading Harry and Ron away.

"They got into a big row over the cockroach clusters thing," Natalie said, "He thought it was funny, she thought he was being immature and stupid."

"I can speak for myself, you know," Mike's voice was slightly muffled for he still hadn't raised his head.

"Well, you _were_ a bit of an idiot there, Mike," Bryt said. Mike just groaned in response.

"It's Emma's loss," Natalie said, "If she can't take a joke..."

"Mike ended up in the hospital wing," Jimmy pointed out, "You can't really blame Emma for being mad over Mike being an idiot."

"I'm right here, you know!" Mike said, finally looking up.

"Why don't you two let me talk to Mike for a second?" Bryt asked his friends. Natalie opened her mouth to argue, but Jimmy took her by the arm and dragged her away.

"Going to say I deserved it, too?" Mike asked gloomily.

"You already know I thought you were an idiot for eating those cockroach clusters," Bryt said, then hurried on when Mike frowned, "But I don't think you deserved to be dumped over it."

"Too late to do anything now," Mike mumbled, "Emma was pretty pissed off."

"Trust me, you'll get over it in time," Bryt said, patting her brother on the back, "My breakup with Terry was rough and very loud, but we both got over it and we're still friends now."

"I don't think Emma plans on even looking at me again," Mike said with a sigh.

"She'll forgive you in time," Bryt said, "Even if you don't date again, I'm sure you'll at least be friends."

"You think so?" Mike asked, looking up at Bryt and pushing his glasses back up where they had slid down his nose.

"Yeah, I do," Bryt said, "And even if it doesn't work out that way, you'll move on and be better for it."

Mike grinned a little at that.

"Thanks," he said, pushing himself to his feet, "I should get going, I don't want to be late for class."

Bryt nodded and watched as her brother headed off. He had only made it about halfway to the door, however, when a brown-haired Hufflepuff girl suddenly got up and hurried over towards him, immediately chatting him up. Bryt sighed, shaking her head. Couldn't the Hogwarts girls at least waited a week before they realized Mike was single again?

**xxxxx**

"So, how was your lesson with Dumbledore?" Bryt asked that night when Harry had returned. Bryt was currently sprawled on the floor across from Ron, in the middle of a chess match, while Hermione was reading in an armchair. They were the only ones in the common room at the moment, as it was quite late.

"Interesting, as usual," Harry replied, sitting down in one of the armchairs and Hermione put her book away, "Apparently after Voldemort left Hogwarts, he started working at Borgin and Burkes—"

"You mean he actually worked at a shop?" Bryt asked in shock. It had been hard enough imagining Voldemort being a child, walking the halls of Hogwarts and learning like any other student. But finding out he did something as normal as work in a store for someone else?

"He did," Harry replied, "He worked there for a while after he was turned down to teach at Hogwarts."

"You-Know-Who wanted to teach?" Ron asked, confused.

"Dumbledore thinks he was actually after something else," Harry said, "He thinks Voldemort wanted to use the position to shape students into future Death Eaters and to find something in the castle. Maybe something of Godric Gryffindor's or Rowena Ravenclaw's. He already found Slytherin's locket and Hufflepuff's cup, he stole them from an old lady after killing her and framing her house elf."

Bryt glared at that. She thought back to the incident at the Triwizard Tournament and how people had treated Winky. She doubted it took much for Voldemort to convince people the house elf was guilty.

"He came back to Hogwarts after Dumbledore became headmaster," Harry went on, "Tried again to get the teaching post. He's the reason no one's lasted as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher more than a year, apparently. He put a curse on it after he was turned down."

"Voldemort doesn't take rejection well," Bryt said bitterly.

"No he doesn't," Harry agreed.

**xxxxx**

The next week passed by uneventfully, though Bryt noticed Mike was back to his old self fast enough, spending all his time with Natalie and Jimmy now—Bryt also noticed he didn't spend any time around the Hufflepuff girl from the week before. Maybe he didn't like a girl coming onto him right after he broke up. Bryt at least had to give him credit for not falling into a rebound relationship.

A notice board went up at the end of the week, announcing that additional Apparition lessons were being offered in Hogsmeade for anyone who would turn seventeen on or before April twenty-first. Bryt had been excited and worried at the same time. Excited for the fact that she literally just barely made the cut-off date, but worried for the fact she'd yet to be able to Apparate. She would have thought that going side-along as many times as she had, she would have been able to Apparate by now, but she and Ron were still among the many who hadn't yet.

Sunday night brought Bryt sitting with her friends in the common room, falling into their usual routine. Bryt and Ron were struggling through their Defense Against the Dark Arts homework, Hermione had her two-way diary in her lap, writing with Julio, and Harry was reading the Half-blood Prince's notes in his Potions book again. He had been going back to it a lot over the last week, trying to find anything that could help him get the memory from Slughorn—apparently, Dumbledore was discontinuing future lessons until the memory was acquired.

"You won't find anything in here," Hermione said sharply. Bryt glanced up from her paper to see Hermione glaring at Harry's Potions book.

"Don't start, Hermione," Harry said, "If it hadn't been for the Prince, Ron wouldn't be sitting here now."

"He would if you just listened to Snape in our first year," Hermione said, "I'm telling you, the stupid Prince isn't going to be able to help you with this, Harry! There's only one way to force someone to do what you want, and that's the Imperius Curse, which is illegal—"

"Yeah, I know that, thanks," Harry cut in, not looking up, "That's why I'm looking for something different. Dumbledore says Veritaserum won't do it, but there might be something else, a potion or a spell..."

"There's no potion," Bryt said, "None I can think of anyway."

"You're going about it the wrong way," Hermione said, "Only you can get the memory, Harry. That must mean you can persuade Slughorn where other people can't. It's not a question of slipping him a potion, anyone could do that—"

"How d'you spell belligerent?" Ron asked, "It can't be B-U-M-"

"No, it isn't," Hermione said, looking at Ron's essay, "And augury doesn't begin O-R-G either. What kind of quill are you using?"

"It's one of Fred and George's Spell-Check ones...but I think the charm must be wearing off..."

"Obviously," Bryt said, "Considering your essay appears to be on Dugbogs instead of Dementors."

"Don't say I'll have to write the whole thing out again!" Ron said with a groan.

"It's okay, we can fix it," Hermione said, pulling the essay over to her.

"Thanks a load, Hermione," Ron said in relief, sinking back.

Half an hour later, Ron's essay was corrected and finished with the use of Hermione's quill and Bryt had finished her own essay. She had just stretched and was about to say she was heading on to bed when a loud crack echoed through the room. Bryt jumped and stared in surprise as she noticed Kreacher standing in front of their group. He bowed towards Harry so low that his nose touched the floor.

"Master said he wanted regular reports on what the Malfoy boy is doing, so Kreacher has come to give—"

Another loud crack came and Dobby appeared next to Kreacher.

"Dobby has been helping too, Harry Potter!" he said happily, "And Kreacher ought to tell Dobby when he is coming to see Harry Potter so they can make their reports together!"

"What?" Bryt asked, staring at Harry, "Reports on what?"

Harry looked uncomfortable.

"Well...they've been following Malfoy for me," he finally said.

"Night and day," Kreacher said.

"Dobby has not slept for a week, Harry Potter!"

"_What_?" Bryt asked, horrified, "Harry, you didn't—"

"No, of course I didn't!" Harry said, then turning to Dobby, "You can sleep, all right? But has either of you found out anything?"

Bryt and Hermione both glared at Harry. His obsession with Malfoy was bad enough when it was affecting his daily life, but now that he was pushing it on to others?

"Master Malfoy moves with a nobility that befits his pure blood," Kreacher said, "His features recall the fine bones of my mistress and his manners are those of—"

"A rabid pig," Bryt muttered, causing Ron to choke next to her.

"Draco Malfoy is a bad boy!" Dobby said loudly, "A bad boy who—who—"

Dobby stood there for a second, then Bryt cried out as Dobby ran for the fire. Harry was quicker, though, and grabbed the house elf around the middle and held him back.

"Thank you, Harry Potter," Dobby said weakly when he settled down, "Dobby still finds it difficult to speak ill of his old masters..."

Bryt frowned, looking over at Hermione. It was clear her mind was turning, going back to SPEW and trying to think of new ways to stop the type of abuse Dobby had gone through. Bryt wished she could think of something, but nothing was coming to her mind. She didn't like that feeling.

"But Kreacher should know that Draco Malfoy is not a good master to a house elf!" Dobby said.

"Yeah, we don't need to hear about you being in love with Malfoy," Harry said sharply to Kreacher—Bryt glared at him again, wishing Harry would at least try to be kinder to the house elf, "Let's fast forward to where he's actually been going."

"Master Malfoy eats in the Great Hall," Kreacher said, bowing again, "He sleeps in a dormitory in the dungeons, he attends his classes in a variety of—"

"Dobby, you tell me," Harry cut Kreacher off, turning to the other house elf, "Has he been going anywhere he shouldn't have?"

"Harry Potter, sir, the Malfoy boy is breaking no rules that Dobby can discover, but he is still keen to avoid detection," Dobby said, sounding very proud to be giving Harry this information, "He has been making regular visits to the seventh floor with a variety of other students, who keep watch for him while he enters—"

"The Room of Requirement!" Harry slapped his Potions book against his head and Bryt just stared at him, "That's where he's been sneaking off to! That's where he's doing...whatever he's doing! And I bet that's why he's been disappearing off the map—come to think of it, I've never seen the Room of Requirement on there!"

"Maybe the Marauders never knew the room was there," Ron said.

"Or didn't exactly know what the room was. They could have used it without realizing," Bryt pointed out.

"I think it'll be part of the magic of the room," Hermione said, "If you need it to be Unplottable, it will be."

"Dobby, have you managed to get in to have a look at what Malfoy's doing?" Harry asked, leaning forward.

"No, Harry Potter, that is impossible," Dobby replied with a frown, looking as if he thought giving that news was worse than any punishment he gave himself while he was owned by the Malfoys.

"No, it's not," Harry said, "Malfoy got into our headquarters there last year, so I'll be able to get in and spy on him, no problem."

"But Malfoy already knew what we were using the Room of Requirement for," Bryt pointed out, "He knew what the room was because of Cho's friend. You have no idea what Malfoy's using the room for."

"There'll be a way around that," Harry said, waving Bryt off, then turning to the house elves, "You've done brilliantly, Dobby."

"And Kreacher," Bryt said.

"The Mudblood is speaking to Kreacher, Kreacher will pretend he cannot hear—"

"Get out of it," Harry snapped and Kreacher vanished with a loud crack—Bryt had to admit, sometimes it was hard feeling sympathy for someone like Kreacher when he acted so hateful about it, "You'd better go and get some sleep too, Dobby."

"Thank you, Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby said before vanishing himself.

"How good's this?" Harry asked, sounding as if he thought they had just won the lottery, "We know where Malfoy's going! We've got him cornered now!"

"Really great," Bryt said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Truthfully, she didn't really care what Malfoy was up to. The more Harry obsessed, the less she wanted to know.

"But what's all this about him going up there with a 'variety of students'?" Hermione asked, "How many people are in on it? You wouldn't think he'd trust lots of them to know what he's doing..."

"Yeah, that is weird," Harry replied slowly, "I heard him telling Crabbe it wasn't his business what he was doing...so what's he telling all these...all these..."

Harry suddenly trailed off, staring at the fire. Bryt sighed, stretching back a bit.

"God, I've been stupid," Harry said suddenly, turning back to the others, "It's obvious, isn't it? There was a great vat of it down in the dungeon...He could've nicked some any time during that lesson..."

"Nicked what?" Bryt and Ron asked together.

"Polyjuice Potion. He stole some of the Polyjuice Potion Slughorn showed us in our first Potions lesson...There aren't a whole variety of students standing guard for Malfoy...it's just Crabbe and Goyle as usual..." Harry suddenly jumped to his feet and started pacing around, "Yeah, it all fits! They're stupid enough to do what they're told even if he won't tell them what he's up to...but he doesn't want them to be seen lurking around outside the Room of Requirement, so he's got them taking Polyjuice to make them look like other people...Those two girls you said you saw him with, Bryt, when he missed the Quidditch match—ha! Crabbe and Goyle!"

"And that girl Ron and I saw when he got out of the hospital wing?" Bryt asked, "Who dropped her scales?"

"Yeah, of course!" Harry said, "Of course! Malfoy must've been inside the room at the time, so she—what am I talking about?—_he_ dropped the scales to tell Malfoy not to come out, because there was someone there! And there was that girl who dropped the toadspawn too! We've been walking past him all this time and not realizing it!"

"He's got Crabbe and Goyle transforming into girls?" Ron asked, looking like he was trying not to laugh, "Blimey...No wonder they don't look too happy these days...I'm surprised they don't tell him to stuff it..."

"Well, they wouldn't, would they, if he'd shown them his Dark Mark?"

"Which he most likely doesn't even have," Bryt said, fighting a strong urge to roll her eyes.

"We'll see," Harry said simply and Bryt sighed.

"Yes, we will," Hermione said as she got up, "But Harry, before you get all excited, I still don't think you'll be able to get into the Room of Requirement without knowing what's there first. And I don't think you should forget that what you're _supposed_ to be concentrating on is getting that memory from Slughorn. Good night."

Hermione grabbed her bag and headed up the stairs for the girls' dormitories. Bryt stood herself, stretching.

"What d'you think?" Harry asked, turning to her and Ron.

"Wish I could Disapparate like a house elf," Ron said, "I'd have that Apparition Test in the bag."

"We'll figure it out," Bryt told Ron, "Maybe being outside of the castle will help. Anyway, I'm heading on to bed myself."

Bryt gave Ron a quick kiss on the cheek before she grabbed her mini backpack and headed up the stairs, eager for a good night's sleep.


	28. Lesson in Hogsmeade

Harry didn't seem willing to give up on his plan to spy on Malfoy. When the post came the next morning, Harry told them in whispers that he planned to use his free period before Defense Against the Dark Arts to go up to the Room of Requirement. Bryt rolled her eyes as she took her copy of the _Daily Prophet_, shaking it open.

"Look," Harry said, "I haven't forgotten about Slughorn, but I haven't got a clue how to get that memory off him, and until I get a brain wave why shouldn't I find out what Malfoy's doing?"

"I've already told you, you need to _persuade_ Slughorn," Hermione said as Ron scooted closer to Bryt to read over her shoulder. Bryt tuned out Harry and Hermione's argument, instead skimming articles to see if anyone she recognized had made it into the papers—for good or bad.

"Mundungus!" Ron said, pointing to one of the articles on the front page. Bryt looked to the spot in panic, then got a wave of relief when she noticed he wasn't dead.

"He's been arrested," Bryt told Hermione and Harry, both of whom had looked worried, "He tried to impersonate an Inferius when he got caught robbing someone. He's been sent to Azkaban."

Bryt only skimmed the rest of the paper for any names that she would recognize. She tried to ignore the content of most stories, they were often depressing articles about murders or missing people and she'd rather not think about them. She was fighting hard to make herself believe there was no point on dwelling on things she couldn't change, so she adopted the mentality 'out of sight, out of mind'.

After breakfast, Hermione left for Ancient Runes while Bryt and Ron went to the common room to work on homework assignments. Harry decided to go through with his plan to go to the Room of Requirement and find out what Malfoy was up to, something Bryt thought was a stupid idea, but she had grown tired of arguing with Harry all the time.

Bryt and Ron just barely finished their work when it was time for them to get to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Hermione was already in the classroom when they got there and they had just sat down when Harry came into the room.

"Late again, Potter," Snape said, "Ten points from Gryffindor."

Bryt resisted the urge to huff in annoyance. Harry wasn't any later than anyone else in class.

"Before we start, I want your dementor essays," Snape went on as Harry sat down beside Hermione. He waved his wand, causing rolled-up parchments flew towards Snape's desk and landed in a pile, "And I hope for your sakes they are better than the tripe I had to endure on resisting the Imperius Curse. Now, if you will all open your books to page—What is it, Mr. Finnigan?"

Bryt looked over to where Seamus had his arm in the air.

"Sir, I've been wondering, how do you tell the difference between an Inferius and a ghost? Because there was something in the paper about an Inferius—"

"No, there wasn't," Snape cut in.

"But sir, I've heard people talking—"

"If you had actually read the article in question, Mr. Finnigan, you would have known that the so-called Inferius was nothing but a smelly sneak thief by the name of Mundungus Fletcher."

"I thought Snape and Mundungus were on the same side," Harry whispered, "Shouldn't he be upset Mundungus has been arrest—"

"But Potter seems to have a lot to say on the subject," Snape said, his gaze locked on Harry, "Let us ask Potter how we would tell the difference between an Inferius and a ghost."

Bryt looked over at Harry, who looked confused.

"Er—well—ghosts are transparent—"

"Oh, very good," Snape said sarcastically, "Yes, it is easy to see that nearly six years of magical education have not been wasted on you, Potter. _'Ghosts are transparent.'_"

Parkinson laughed nearby and Bryt glared over at her. Sometimes she wished she could just go punch the girl and be done with it.

"Yeah, ghosts are transparent," Harry said, looking calmer than Bryt was at the moment, "But Inferi are dead bodies, aren't they? So they'd be solid—"

"A five-year-old could have told us as much," Snape cut in again, "The Inferius is a corpse that has been reanimated by a Dark wizard's spells. It is not alive, it is merely used like a puppet to do the wizard's bidding. A ghost, as I trust that you are all aware by now, is the imprint of a departed soul left upon the earth...and of course, as Potter so wisely tells us, _transparent_."

"Well, what Harry said is the most useful if we're trying to tell them apart!" Ron said, "When we come face-to-face with one down a dark alley, we're going to have a shufti to see if it's solid, aren't we, we're not going to be asking, 'Excuse me, are you the imprint of a departed soul?'"

Bryt snorted as most of the class started to laugh. The laughing died immediately, however, as Snape started looking furious.

"Another ten points from Gryffindor," Snape said sharply, "I would expect nothing more sophisticated from you, Ronald Weasley, the boy so solid he cannot Apparate half an inch across a room."

Bryt gripped her hands tightly into fists, biting hard on her tongue not to lash out and Hermione in front of them had to grab Harry's arm to keep him from jumping up as well. Bryt glanced next to her and noticed Ron had gone very red.

"Now, open your books to page two hundred and thirteen," Snape said, looking amused with himself—Bryt wished desperately to smack him, "And read the first two paragraphs on the Cruciatus Curse."

Bryt fumed for the rest of class and was glad to be out of there after the hour ended.

"Snape's right, though, isn't he?" Ron asked as they walked down the hallway, "I dunno whether it's worth me taking the test. I just can't get the hang of Apparation."

"C'mon, we'll do the extra lessons in Hogsmeade," Bryt said, looping her arm through Ron's—she, like Ron, hadn't quite managed Apparation yet, "Maybe we'll manage it better when we're not concentrating on hoops in a room."

"And if you're still not ready, you can just take the tests in the summer with me," Harry added.

"Yeah, you're right," Ron said with a sigh, "I'll do the practice sessions in Hogsmeade before I decide about taking the test."

The weekend came quickly and Bryt was quite happy to get out of the castle for a while. They hadn't had their Hogsmeade visit back on Ron's birthday, so a day out of the castle would be good for them.

The day was a rare, clear spring day considering the weather they've had lately and Bryt felt a bit guilty as she wrapped her scarf around her neck while Harry stood by watching them.

"I really wish you could come as well," Bryt said, starting to pull on her gloves.

"Don't worry," Harry whispered, "I plan to go up to the Room of Requirement and try to find a way in again."

"You'd do better to go straight to Slughorn's office and try and get that memory from him," Hermione said sharply.

"I've been trying!" Harry replied, "He doesn't want to talk to me, Hermione! He can tell I've been trying to get him on his own again and he's not going to let it happen!"

"Well, you've just got to keep at it, haven't you?"

Harry frowned at Hermione, but she and the others were ushered away before anything more could be said. Bryt glanced over her shoulder back to Harry, but noticed he was already gone. She sighed as she turned back around. She tried to push Harry from her mind, she didn't need to be worrying about his obsession when she should be concentrating on an Apparition lesson in Hogsmeade.

"Bryt!"

Bryt looked over to see Megan coming towards her, pulling along Anthony by the hand, though he didn't seem to mind at all. The two had begun dating shortly after Christmas and Bryt had to admit, they both seemed very happy around each other.

"Hey Megan, Anthony," Bryt said as they started walking along the familiar road to Hogsmeade, Bryt with her hand grasped around Ron's.

"I'm really hoping these extra lessons will pay off," Megan said, "I mean, I know I've already managed it, but I need all the practice I can get, you know? Practice makes perfect and all that. Anthony, of course, doesn't even need these lessons. I don't know why he's even coming, but he insisted..."

Megan continued to ramble on about Apparition the entire walk to Hogsmeade. Bryt merely nodded and smiled occasionally, the way she did in nearly any Care of Magical Creatures class, considering Megan rarely paused long enough for anyone else to say anything. When they reached Hogsmeade, they were greeted by Twycross, who looked eager to see how many people were in the group.

"Welcome, welcome," Twycross said, "Let's get started, shall we?"

It turned out Apparition lessons weren't much different from lessons within the Great Hall. They weren't going to Apparate too far too far away and their group was so small, thus Twycross only had one other with him to overlook the group.

Anthony and Hermione did perfectly, which wasn't surprising. Megan overshot slightly and ended up inside of a shop instead of in front of it, much to the annoyance of people who were browsing in there.

Bryt and Ron were the last of the group to go. Ron was asked to Apparate to outside of Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, while Bryt was instructed to Apparate in front of The Three Broomsticks.

Bryt stood at the edge of Hogsmeade, her eyes closed as she tried to concentrate. It was hard to focus, however, knowing that the other students were standing around, watching her, waiting for her to attempt Apparition. She tried to ignore it, instead picturing The Three Broomsticks in her head, keeping the image on the outside of the building. She'd been there plenty of times on Hogsmeade visits, it wasn't all that hard.

Finally, Bryt took a deep breath and let it out, holding it as she put every ounce of concentration on willing herself to move, then spun in a circle as she had so many times in the Great Hall.

If there had been enough time, she would have reacted to the familiar sensation of being squeezed from all sides, but it had been gone as quickly as it came, so Bryt found herself stumbling with a gasp and when she opened her eyes, she wasn't where she stared. She was now staring at The Three Broomsticks from across the street.

"I did it! Finally!" Bryt said with a laugh, punching the air in joy.

"Well, almost, Miss Watkins," Twycross said, "You were supposed to Apparate to in front of the Three Broomsticks, you are across the street from there."

"Technically, I'm still in front of the pub," Bryt said with a grin.

Unfortunately, Twycross didn't like that interpretation and gave them all a lecture on the three D's. They even had to suffer through it while drinking butterbeers he bought them before heading back to Hogwarts.

"Why did you have to be smart with him, Bryt?" Hermione asked with a sigh as they made their way along the road between Hogsmeade and Hogwarts. Megan and Anthony were several feet ahead of them, walking with Twycross. Bryt could tell even from back here that Megan was rambling on about something again.

"I was right, though," Bryt said, "I ended up in front of Three Broomsticks! What does a few feet matter?"

"At least you got closer than I did," Ron said, though he seemed so happy about finally Apparating, he didn't seem to care that Bryt had done better than him. He had still ended up close himself, down at the end of a street instead of in front of the shop.

"A few feet will be the difference between passing and failing!" Hermione said, "If you two hope to get your Apparition license, you need to fine tune your technique!"

"Stop worrying, Hermione, we'll be fine," Bryt said, rolling her eyes, "Besides, the tests are on my birthday. If that's not a good sign, I don't know what is."

"Just because it's on your birthday doesn't mean anything, Bryt," Hermione said irritably, she started to continue, but Ron cut in.

"Come on, Hermione," Ron said, "We finally managed to Apparate. Can't you let us just enjoy our accomplishments for one afternoon?"

Hermione glared at them, but didn't say anything. Instead, she turned and marched ahead to walk with Twycross and the others. Bryt gave Ron an appreciative smile, looking her arm through his as they walked.

Truthfully, she couldn't help but feel she was right. The Apparition tests falling on the day she came of age had to mean something. She just knew things were going to turn out right that day. They had to.


	29. A Simple Birthday

When Bryt woke up on her birthday, she found the sun shining brightly through the room's window. As she sat up, she saw Parvati and Lavender were already gone, but Hermione was brushing through her hair on the other side of the room.

"Good morning, Bryt," Hermione said with a smile, "Happy birthday."

"Thanks," Bryt said, noting the pile of presents at the foot of her bed. She started going through them, though they were the usual types of presents she got. Creature books and butterscotch candy. Hermione had given her a new mini-backpack, which was nice. Bryt's old one was starting to get a bit beat up.

The last gift in her pile was a small box from Ron. Bryt picked it up, curious. It was more the size of a box jewelry came in, but she knew Ron knew better. He had learned his lesson a few years ago about getting her things like that.

Bryt opened the box, surprised to see a silver pocket watch laying inside, the cover engraved with a dragon—a Welsh Green by the looks of it. Bryt popped open the watch to see that instead of hands, the face had tiny dragons that ticked around the edge of the numbers.

She had to admit, it was a really nice present. She remembered the month before when Ron had received a pocket watch from his parents, how he had showed it to her and explained it was a tradition in the wizarding world that they got pocket watches when they came of age. Bryt smiled, realizing how much this had to mean for her.

Though Bryt couldn't help but wonder how Ron managed to get the money for it, and found herself feeling a bit guilty. Ron had put such thought into getting her something nice, and she was wondering about the price. But the Weasleys had so little money, the thought couldn't help but drift through her mind.

Bryt tried to push the thoughts away and got dressed for the day before transferring her things into her new bag from Hermione. She just finished pinning her Fitchburg Finches and SPEW badges to the bag when Hermione said they needed to hurry or they'd be late for breakfast.

Bryt slung the bag over her shoulder before following Hermione down to the common room where Harry and Ron were waiting. Bryt gave Ron a kiss and thanked him for the pocket watch, which he replied to with an awkward 'you're welcome'.

Despite a good start to the day, Bryt was quickly becoming nervous. She could barely concentrate during her morning classes. Her mind was on the Apparition test that afternoon and she just kept hoping the fact that they were on her birthday would mean she would pass.

She barely ate breakfast or lunch that day, and couldn't even enjoy her after-lunch break. It was the time of week she usually did enjoy, because it was the one break where she and her friends were all free from classes and could talk, but Bryt, Hermione and Ron were all nervous as their tests were just after the break was over. Bryt was bouncing anxiously, much to Ron's annoyance, and was glancing through her Apparition information leaflet for the fifth time in the past ten minutes when a girl came over with a note for Harry.

"Dumbledore said we wouldn't be having any more lessons until I got the memory," Harry whispered worriedly once the girl was out of sight.

"Maybe he wants to check how you're doing?" Hermione asked. Harry didn't look too pleased about that and quickly unrolled the parchment, but it was clear as he read it that it wasn't from Dumbledore.

"Look at this," Harry said, holding the note over. Bryt leaned over and noticed Hagrid's handwriting across the page, though it was hard to read because several words were smeared.

Dear Harry, Ron, Bryt, and Hermione,

Aragog died last night. Harry, Bryt, and Ron, you met him, and you know how special he was. Hermione, I know you'd have liked him. It would mean a lot to me if you'd nip down for the burial later this evening. I'm planning on doing it round dusk, that was his favorite time of day. I know you're not supposed to be out that late, but you can use the cloak. Wouldn't ask, but I can't face it alone.

Hagrid

Bryt frowned at the letter. On the one hand, she didn't like the idea of sneaking out when it's getting dark, not with everything going on. Especially not for the funeral of an acromantula that had tried to kill her. On the other hand, there was those last five words: "I can't face it alone". Bryt couldn't help but want to go.

"Oh for heaven's sake!" Hermione said, sounding as if she were just asked to run naked across the courtyard.

"He's _mental_!" Ron said, "That thing told its mates to eat us! Told them to help themselves! And now Hagrid expects us to go down there and cry over his hairy body!"

"It's not just that," Hermione said, "He's asking us to leave the castle at night and he knows security's a million times tighter and how much trouble we'd be in if we were caught."

"We've been down there at night before," Harry said and Bryt felt a bit of relief. It seemed she wasn't the only one wanting to go down. Not really for Aragog, but because it was obvious Hagrid needed the company.

"Yes, but for something like this?" Hermione asked, "We've risked a lot to help Hagrid out, but after all—Aragog's dead. If it were a question of saving him—"

"I'd want to go even less," Ron cut in, "You didn't meet him, Hermione. Believe me, being dead will have improved him a lot." Ron looked at Bryt next to him. "Besides, do you really want to go to a funeral on your birthday? Not my idea of a good party."

"This isn't about the funeral, or even Aragog," Bryt shot back, annoyed, "Hagrid needs the company. You saw that letter, he said he can't deal with this alone. Would you want to go through a funeral of someone you cared about by yourself?"

Ron and Hermione exchanged awkward looks, it clear neither of them knew how to answer that.

"Look, you two don't have to go," Harry said to Ron and Hermione, "Bryt and I will use the cloak, there's less chance of being caught just the two of us."

"But..." Hermione started, then sighed, "I just don't think this is the best idea. Security's been so tight lately, you're most likely not even going to make it out of the castle, let alone get down to Hagrid's. And what will happen if you get caught? I know why you want to go, but I'm just not sure it's worth it."

Bryt frowned. Hermione had a point. She always had a point to make. Bryt wanted desperately to go down and be with Hagrid, just give him some company while he buried a friend he'd had for fifty years—despite the fact that that friend had tried to kill her. But Hermione was right. They most likely wouldn't even make it out of the castle, not with security the way it was. Bryt really didn't like it, but it seemed like Hagrid was going to have to bury Aragog alone.

"Fine, we won't go," Harry said and Bryt gave a reluctant nod in agreement.

"Oh, good," Hermione said with a relieved sigh, then obviously looking for a change of subject as she turned to Harry, "Look, Potions will be almost empty this afternoon, with us all off doing our tests...Try and soften Slughorn up a bit then!"

"Fifty-seventh time lucky, you think?" Harry asked sarcastically.

"Lucky...Harry, that's it! Get lucky!" Ron said, straightening up. Bryt was knocked sideways a bit, since she had been leaning against him. She didn't care, however, as it had just dawned on her what he was talking about.

"You mean the Felix Felicis!" Bryt said.

"Of course! Why didn't I think of it?" Hermione asked, looking as if she wanted to hit herself in the head.

"Felix Felicis?" Harry asked, sounding unsure, "I dunno...I was sort of saving it..."

"What for?" Ron asked, which Bryt wanted to know as well. Sure, she still had her own bottle hidden down in the bottom of her trunk, but she had no idea what to use it for. The only situations she'd want to use it in—like her Apparition tests or exams—it was illegal.

"Harry? Are you still with us?" Hermione asked, having her hand in front of Harry's face.

"Wha—?" Harry blinked, as if he'd been daydreaming, "Yeah, of course. Well...Okay. If I can't get Slughorn to talk this afternoon, I'll take some Felix and have another go this evening."

"That's decided, then," Hermione said as she stood up and started to turn on the spot, "Destination...Determination...Deliberation..."

"Oh stop that," Ron said irritably, "I feel sick enough as it is."

Hermione glared down at them, then repeated her practicing. Bryt frowned, starting to feel antsy again herself as she looked over to where a pair of girls were walking across the courtyard, grouped close together. Both kept their heads down, looking as if they'd been having a bad day. Unfortunately, that was a common look around Hogwarts with the war brewing around them.

"Blimey, they don't look happy, do they?" Ron asked, following Bryt's gaze. Hermione stopped practicing and turned.

"They're the Montgomery sisters and of course they don't look happy," she said, turning back to Bryt, Harry, and Ron, "Didn't you hear what happened to their little brother?"

"I try to avoid stories like that," Bryt muttered, immediately thinking about her own younger brothers.

"Well, their brother was attacked by a werewolf," Hermione said quietly, "The rumor is that their mother refused to help the Death Eaters. Anyway, the boy was only five and he died in St. Mungo's, they couldn't save him."

"He died?" Bryt and Harry asked, Bryt feeling sicker than any nerves of Apparition could ever achieve.

"But surely werewolves don't kill, they just turn you into one of them?" Harry asked.

"Sometimes they do kill," Bryt said weakly, "I read in one book they sometimes can get carried away."

"What was the werewolf's name?"

"Well, the rumor is that it was Fenrir Greyback," Hermione said nervously.

"I knew it—the maniac who likes attacking kids, the one Lupin told me about!" Harry said, sounding angry. Bryt gripped her own hands, thinking about what the Montgomery family had to be going through, all because of some monster like Greyback.

"Harry, you've got to get that memory," Hermione said, "It's all about stopping Voldemort, isn't it? These dreadful things that are happening are all down to him..."

At that moment, the bell rang and Bryt and Ron both leapt to their feet and Hermione suddenly looked as if she was about to have a heart attack. Bryt had been so distracted by the conversation, she'd forgotten about the approaching Apparition examination.

"You'll do fine," Harry said, looking as if he wanted nothing more than to be going for the Apparition tests himself as they walked to the entrance hall, "Good luck."

"And you too," Hermione replied, calling after Harry as he left for the dungeons.

Bryt's nerves were getting to her. She bounced anxiously on the balls of her feet while waiting for the other sixth years arrive in the entrance hall, then the entire walk to Hogsmeade, she was fiddling with her bracelet.

"Bryt, calm down, you're making me nervous," Ron muttered from next to her. Bryt apologized, but didn't stop fiddling with her bracelet. She shouldn't be so nervous for an exam. She wasn't this worked up since her OWL exams the year before, but Apparition shouldn't be that big of a deal. After all, if she failed the exam, it wasn't like she wouldn't be able to continue her education. It just meant she'd have to retake the exam in the summer. Hell, she didn't even have to take this exam in the first place. It was just optional.

Still, Bryt had only just recently finally managed to Apparate, and in the following practices, she'd only once pinpointed her landing exactly the way the instructor wanted it to be. She really hoped that she would pass. She didn't want to worry about retaking the exam in the summer, or have to side-along Apparate anymore.

Once they reached Hogsmeade, Bryt noticed there were several instructors waiting for them. They were divided into groups of ten and taken do different parts of Hogsmeade for the exam, which Bryt discovered was surprisingly easy: They were only going to Apparate twice—the second time bringing an instructed along as side-along—though further than they had done so far. If they succeeded, landed precisely in the right spot, and didn't splinch themselves, they would pass.

Bryt and Ron were in the same group, as they had been divided alphabetically by last name. The two stood next to each other, Bryt far too nervous to talk, as she watched their classmates disappear, then reappear soon after with the second instructor for their group, and that instructor Apparate away again afterwards.

It finally came time for Bryt's turn and she made her way forward, taking a deep breath to try and calm her nerves.

"Okay, Miss Watkins," the instructor said, "You will be Apparating to Honeydukes."

Bryt nodded and glanced over her shoulder at Ron, who gave her a small grin. Bryt grinned weakly in response before turning back around. This was it.

Bryt sighed, then held her breath in preparation for the usual instinctive gasp later, then closed her eyes, concentrating hard on the front of Honeydukes' Sweet Shop. Then, she spun on the spot, feeling the usual closing in tightly on her, before the sensation was gone quickly. She opened her eyes and found herself staring at Honeydukes. She grinned excitedly and turned, seeing the second instructor nearby who was nodding and marking on a clipboard before he stepped forward and gave Bryt a long look-over, obviously making sure she hadn't splinched herself.

The second part went just as well. Bryt thought it was a little awkward having someone hold her arm while she spun, but she landed back to the group with no issues and she couldn't help but laugh with relief. It took all her free will not to start jumping on the spot and cheering as she turned back to the instructors, who were chatting with each other for a moment before nodding.

"Congratulations, Miss Watkins. Very well done," the first finally said as the second Apparated away.

Again, Bryt had to fight the urge to cheer. She'd passed! Relief rushed through her as the nerves that had built up all day vanished completely. She'd passed. She now could legally Apparate. She wouldn't need to wait for Sofí or Julio or Emily to be around to head out somewhere.

"Mr. Weasley, it's your turn."

Bryt headed back to the group, giving Ron's arm a reassuring squeeze as he passed. He didn't seem to notice, his face going a bit green. Bryt was sure he'd do well, however, and watched as he disappeared and then came back a few seconds later with the second instructor. Bryt grinned at him and he looked excited, Bryt was about to hurry over and congratulate him when the first instructor cleared his throat and pointed towards Ron's face with his quill.

"Half an eyebrow is missing," he said simply, "I'm sorry, Mr. Weasley, but you will have to try again in the summer."

Bryt gripped her hands into fists and had to bite her tongue to keep from lashing out as Ron came back over, looking crestfallen. Half a damn eyebrow and they failed him? That was like if someone misspelled one word on an essay, and they were failed for that one misspelling. It didn't make any sense.

Bryt spent the rest of the afternoon bashing the instructors under her breath, which seemed to cheer Ron up as they made their way back to the castle and met up with Harry. They soon learned he had no luck with Slughorn, so after dinner, they grouped up in the boys dormitories and worked out how Harry was going to convince Slughorn to give up the memory.

"So, Harry—you going to use the Felix Felicis or what?" Ron asked as he and Bryt sat on his bed.

"Yeah, I s'pose I'd better," Harry replied, "I don't reckon I'll need all of it, not twelve hours' worth, it can't take all night...I'll just take a mouthful. Two or three hours should do it."

"It's a great feeling when you take it," Ron said with a sigh, "Like you can't do anything wrong."

"You never took it, Ron," Bryt said and nudged him in the side as Hermione laughed.

"Yeah, but I _thought_ I had, didn't I?" Ron retorted, "Same difference, really."

Bryt laughed and shook her head before they turned back to the topic at hand. They decided they should wait a bit for Slughorn to finish dinner, then Harry would take the lucky potion and head down to Slughorn's office once they were sure he'd be there. They waited for sunset, as that seemed the right time, then Harry dug through his trunk for the small potion he had hidden in a rolled-up sock.

"Well, here it goes," Harry said, taking only a small sip of the potion. He sealed it back up and sat still next to his trunk.

"What does it feel like?" Hermione asked with the same curiosity she had when trying to find an answer to a homework question.

"Excellent," Harry said with a grin as if he thought he could do no wrong—which was probably true as long as he was under the effects of the potion—and he stood up, "Really excellent. Right...I'm going down to Hagrid's."

"What?" Bryt, Ron, and Hermione chorused, Bryt both annoyed and confused. They had gone through that argument earlier saying it was best not to go down to the funeral, and now Harry was just going to head down like it was no big deal?

"No, Harry—you've got to go and see Slughorn, remember?" Hermione asked, sounding a bit panicked. Of course, she never liked it much when things didn't go to plan.

"No," Harry replied, "I'm going to Hagrid's. I've got a good feeling about going to Hagrid's."

"You've got a good feeling about burying a giant spider?" Ron asked in disbelief.

"After all that arguing we did deciding _not_ to go?" Bryt asked irritably.

"Yeah," Harry said, already pulling out his Invisibility cloak, "I feel like it's the place to be tonight, you know what I mean?"

"No," the others replied, Bryt shaking her head.

"This is Felix Felicis, I suppose?" Hermione asked, examining the bottle, "You haven't gotten another little bottle full of—I don't know—"

"Essence of Insanity?" Ron asked. Bryt took the bottle from Hermione and studied it, though as far as she could tell, it was the right potion. And Felix Felicis didn't go bad, so there was no reason Harry should be acting like this...

"Trust me," Harry said with a laugh as he pulled his cloak on and disappeared, "I know what I'm doing...Or at least, Felix does."

"Harry!" Bryt called, but it was too late. He was already down the stairs and there was no way to catch up to him. Bryt spun around to Hermione and Ron, both of whom looked as confused as she was.

"We're just going to have to trust him," Hermione said, standing up, "That potion is supposed to make him lucky, he knows what he's doing."

"Hopefully," Bryt replied, looking back to the empty door. All they could do now was sit and wait. And pray that going down to Hagrid's somehow got Harry to convince Slughorn to give up that memory.


	30. Downs and Ups

They didn't get a chance to talk with Harry until Charms class the next day, where Harry first casted the _Muffliato_ spell before explaining everything in fast whispers while they tried to turn vinegar to wine.

Harry first told them about what had happened after he took the Felix Felicis. He told them about running into Slughorn on the way down to Hagrid's, and inviting him down to the funeral as well—though he didn't say exactly how Slughorn was convinced. Then after they buried Aragog, how he managed to get Slughorn drunk enough to hand over the real memory. Bryt couldn't help but wonder if that's why they hadn't seen Slughorn at breakfast that morning, he was probably dealing with a massive hangover.

The next part was more interesting for Bryt, however. Harry told them about seeing Slughorn's actual memory, how Slughorn had told Voldemort about the Horcruxes and how one is created by murdering someone and splitting one's own soul, hiding a piece within some item. Bryt felt sick just at the thought of it. It only got worse when Harry explained that Voldemort hadn't just created one Horcrux, but _six_. Bryt had even held one in her hands before. The diary they had found during their second year, the one that had belonged to Voldemort when he was still known as Tom Riddle.

Bryt shuddered slightly at the thought of holding something Voldemort had put a piece of his soul into, and that Voldemort had killed someone while he was still in school.

Apparently, two of the Horcruxes were already destroyed. The diary and a ring Dumbledore had found over the summer holidays—which was apparently why Dumbledore's hand was the way it was now.

The most exciting news, however, was that Dumbledore had promised to bring Harry along to destroy the next Horcrux he found. Bryt stared in disbelief and wonder. Dumbledore was actually going to take Harry along when he found a Horcrux?

"Wow," Ron said from next to Bryt, sounding in as disbelief as Bryt was, "Wow. You're actually going to go with Dumbledore...and try and destroy...wow."

Ron seemed so mystified by this news, he had forgotten exactly what he was doing and was waving his wand aimlessly at the ceiling rather than the goblet in front of him.

"Ron, you're making it snow," Hermione said, sounding annoyed as she grabbed Ron's arm and pulled it down. Bryt glance dup where, sure enough, snow was coming down over their little group. Bryt shook her head fast to get the snow out of her hair, only for it to just stick more. Bryt frowned, reaching up to brush it out instead.

"Sorry," Ron said, glancing at the snow on his shoulder, "Looks like we've all got horrible dandruff now..."

He brushed the snow from himself and Harry and Hermione did the same. Bryt noticed Harry looking towards Dean, who had been looking upset most all day.

"He and Ginny split up last night," Bryt told Harry, watching him closely for his reaction. He looked as if he were struggling to keep a blank face and sounded a bit too happy as he asked why.

"Oh, something really silly," Hermione said, rolling her eyes, "She said he was always trying to help her through the portrait hole, like she couldn't climb in herself...But they've been rocky for ages." Hermione paused, looking over at Harry. "Of course, this puts you in a bit of a dilemma, doesn't it?"

"What d'you mean?" Harry asked far too quickly. It took all Bryt had not to laugh.

"The Quidditch team," Hermione said, "If Ginny and Dean aren't speaking..."

"Oh—oh yeah."

Bryt shook her head, having a very good feeling what Harry had really been thinking about. It was hard to miss the looks he gave Ginny during Quidditch practice or how he tried far too hard to appear disinterested in Ginny's personal life, while at the same time asking questions about her.

Ron suddenly pointed out that Flitwick was making his way over and Bryt looked back at her goblet that was still quite full of vinegar, though it was more of a darkish red color. Better than Harry's and Ron's, that still looked very brown. Hermione, obviously, had already turned hers into wine a while ago.

"Now, now," Flitwick said, "A little less talk, a little more action...Let me see you try..."

Bryt pointed her wand at her goblet, concentrating silently on the incantation they were taught. Bryt's vinegar managed to become a darker red, but was still giving off a strong vinegar smell. Harry's turned into a block of ice and Ron's exploded. Bryt jumped, instinctively covering her face.

"Yes..." Flitwick said, standing back up as he picked glass from his hat, "For homework, _practice_."

After Charms, the four went back to the common room for their break. Bryt looped her arm through Ron's as usual as they walked, and noticed Harry seemed distracted. Bryt didn't get a chance to ask him what was wrong, however, because they had reached the common room and she instantly was distracted by the crowd—more specifically, who was at the center of it.

"Katie!" Bryt said excitedly, grinning brightly. The last time she'd seen her fellow Gryffindor was before the girl had ended up in St. Mungo's. It was great to see her back. Katie looked up at them and grinned, coming over as her friends started to get their things and leave for class—though Bryt noticed a tall, dark-haired boy staying behind by the common room entrance. She vaguely remembered Katie mentioning him being her boyfriend during a Quidditch practice before.

"They let me out of St. Mungo's on Monday," Katie said, grinning herself, "I had a couple of days at home with Mum and Dad and then came back here this morning. Leanne was just telling me about McLaggen and the last match, Harry..."

Harry got a look that said he obviously not wanting to think about that match. Bryt was the same. Her back, where the Bludger had hit her, hurt just hearing McLaggen's name. She still wished she had strangled him while she had the chance.

"Well, now you're back and Ron's fit, we'll have a decent chance of thrashing Ravenclaw," Harry said, "Which means we could still be in the running for the Cup. Listen, Katie..." Harry quickly dropped his voice after glancing to make sure the boy by the entrance wouldn't hear them, "that necklace...Can you remember who gave it to you now?"

Bryt resisted the urge to groan. Couldn't Harry leave that alone for one day? Just one day without his little obsession?

"No," Katie said, shaking her head with a frown, "Everyone's been asking me, but I haven't got a clue. The last thing I remember was walking into the ladies' in the Three Broomsticks."

"You definitely went into the bathroom, then?" Hermione asked.

"Well, I know I pushed open the door," Katie replied slowly, "So I suppose whoever Imperiused me was standing just behind it. After that, my memory's a blank until about two weeks ago in St. Mungo's. Listen, I'd better go, I wouldn't put it past McGonagall to give me lines even if it is my first day back..."

Katie left, hand-in-hand with the dark-haired boy. Bryt turned to her friends as they sat down at a table by the window.

"So, now we know it was some woman who gave Katie the necklace," Bryt said simply. She didn't want to get into this subject again, but she knew there was no point with Harry. Better to humor him for a bit.

"Or someone who looked like a woman," Harry said, "Don't forget, there was a cauldron full of Polyjuice Potion at Hogwarts. We know some of it got stolen..."

Bryt rolled her eyes, though luckily Harry didn't notice. He was staring out the nearby window, looking lost in thought.

"I think I'm going to take another swig of Felix and have another go at the Room or Requirement again," he said finally.

"You'd just waste the potion," Bryt said, "Felix Felicis only increases chances you're already capable of. There's no way you're getting into the Room of Requirement, so you'd better just save the potion."

"You'll need it for when Dumbledore takes you along with him," Hermione added with a whisper.

"Couldn't we make some more?" Ron asked, "It'd be great to have a stock of it...Have a look in the book..."

"It's a really complicated potion," Bryt said as Harry pulled out his copy of _Advanced Potion-Making_ to check for himself, "Takes forever and is very finicky. You have to keep a close eye on it, and one wrong move can be disastrous."

"Blimey," Harry said once he found the right page, "Bryt was right. It takes six months, you've got to let it stew."

"You'll learn to listen to me one day," Bryt said rolling her eyes.

**xxxxx**

The next Quidditch practice went brilliantly. With Ron and Katie both back on the team, it seemed as if they could do no wrong. And despite just recently breaking up, Ginny seemed in the best mood of all. She kept doing imitations of the other team members, causing everyone to laugh time and again. Though Bryt noticed Harry seemed to be staring at Ginny far too much and ended up receiving quite a few bruises from the Bludgers because of it. Bryt shook her head, thinking Harry needed to ask Ginny out and be done with it already. She'd make sure Ron didn't start complaining about it if it came to that.

The weeks leading up to the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw match brought with it the usual taunts in hallways. Bryt ignored them as usual, but Ron had a much harder time tuning them out. Which was obvious a couple of days before the match where Ron suddenly had to run to a bathroom after another round of taunts. Bryt told Harry to head on to dinner—Hermione was talking with a teacher over a homework assignment—and then followed after Ron to make sure he was okay.

Bryt reached a corridor right as Ron disappeared into the bathroom down the hall. She made her way over, but waited outside the bathroom to give him some privacy. When he finally came out, he looked better at least, though he still seemed a bit green.

"You okay?" Bryt asked, "We can always go ask Madam Pomfrey for a calming draught or something."

"No, I'm okay," Ron said weakly, "I'm not hungry, though. Can we just head back to the common room?"

"You sure?" Bryt asked, looping an arm through Ron's, "Eating something might help settle your stomach."

"Yeah, I'm sure. I just want to go back to the common room."

Bryt wondered if Ron really wasn't wanting to go down to dinner because he didn't want to deal with more taunts from classmates. She didn't say anything, however, and let Ron lead her back through the castle towards the common room.

They had only made it halfway through when they suddenly heard Harry calling for them from behind and turned to see Harry rushing up the stairs towards them, his clothes wet and stained with something dark red.

"Oh my God, is that _blood_?" Bryt asked, horrified. They'd only left Harry a few minutes ago. What could have happened? Panic rushed through Bryt as she wondered what type of fight Harry had gotten into, and with whom. Harry looked like he was fine, but he was still covered in blood. That meant the other person couldn't have faired the same...

"Ron, I need your book," Harry rushed, "Your Potions book. Quick. Give it to me."

"But what about the Half-Blood—"

"I'll explain later!"

Ron, bewildered, pulled out his copy of Advanced Potion-Making, which Harry immediately grabbed and took off back through the castle.

"What was that about?" Ron asked.

"I don't know," Bryt replied, bouncing anxiously, "Let's go back to the common room. Harry'll explain later."

By the time they got to the common room, however, people were in small groups, whispering with each other. It was strange. Most people were usually down at dinner by now. Bryt noticed Hermione and Ginny by the fireplace and she and Ron made their way over.

"What's going on?" Bryt asked as she and Ron sat on the couch together.

"Moaning Myrtle's been going around the castle," Ginny said, "Apparently, Harry got into a duel with Malfoy in one of the bathrooms."

"Moaning Myrtle says that Harry nearly _killed_ Malfoy, but she exaggerates—"

"I don't think she was," Bryt said weakly, going cold at the thought as she remembered the blood on Harry's clothes. She quickly explained what had happened on the stairs and Ginny and Hermione both went pale.

"There's got to be some explanation, though," Ron said, "I bet Malfoy deserved it."

"Ron!" Bryt and Hermione hissed. As far as Bryt was concerned, no one deserved to be killed, or even nearly-killed.

"I'm just saying, Malfoy probably started the whole thing," Ron said, "Just watch, I bet Harry was only defending himself."

"It still doesn't excuse nearly killing Malfoy," Bryt shot back.

"Even if Malfoy was trying to kill him?"

"I don't think Malfoy would try," Bryt admitted, "He's a coward."

Ron opened his mouth to reply, but Harry had come in then, still in his blood-soaked clothes. Several people turned and stared at him as he disappeared up the stairway, coming back a few minutes later in clean clothes before coming over to the others.

"What happened with Malfoy?" Ginny asked instantly, "Moaning Myrtle's been going around saying you tried to kill him."

Harry frowned, but started to explain what happened, how he had found Malfoy in one of the bathrooms, talking with Moaning Myrtle—something Bryt found harder to believe than Harry intentionally trying to kill someone—and when Malfoy noticed, he had tried to use the Cruciatus Curse on Harry, and he had reacted with a spell he found in the Half-Blood Prince's potion book—which was why he had needed Ron's. Snape had found them afterward and he didn't want Snape to find out about the book. Harry had hidden his copy in the Room of Requirement. Harry said if he had known just what type of spell that was, he wouldn't have used it.

To top it off, Harry now ha detention every Saturday for the rest of the school year, something that McGonagall whole-heartedly endorsed considering her reaction when she found out what happened. Bryt was both horrified at what had happened at the same time, she couldn't help but think Harry had brought this on himself. He was lucky he hadn't been expelled.

This also meant that Harry wouldn't be playing the final Quidditch match and Dean would be back on the team as Chaser, with Ginny playing Seeker. Just as their team was good again, they went right back down.

"I won't say 'I told you so'," Hermione said when Harry was finished.

"Leave it, Hermione," Ron snapped.

"I told you there was something wrong with that Prince person," Hermione went on, "And I was right, wasn't I?"

"No, I don't think you were," Harry said, keeping his gaze locked on the fire, refusing to look any of them in the eye.

"Harry, how can you stick up for that book when that spell—"

"Will you stop harping on about the book?" Harry snapped and Bryt glared at him. She did think Hermione was overreacting—after all, it was only one spell in a book that had so-far proven useful—but that was no reason for Harry to go off on Hermione like he was. "The Prince only copied it out! It's not like he was advising anyone to use it! For all we know, he was making a note of something that had been used against him!"

"I don't believe this. You're actually defending—"

"I'm not defending what I did! I wish I hadn't done it, and not just because I've got about a dozen detentions. You know I wouldn't've used a spell like that, not even on Malfoy, but you can't blame the Prince, he hadn't written 'try this out, it's really good'—he was just making notes for himself, wasn't he, not for anyone else..."

Bryt sighed, wishing the two would just give it a rest. Hermione was right, it was a bad spell and it should have never been used. But Harry was right, too. It wasn't like the spell was being advertised. Though Bryt did question the type of guy who wanted to use a spell like that on others. Still, it was only one spell and as she had known, the book had been nothing but helpful before.

"Are you trying to tell me that you're going to go back—"

"And get the book?" Harry cut Hermione off, "Yeah, I am. Listen, without the Prince, I'd never have won the Felix Felicis. I'd never have known how to save Ron from poisoning, I'd never have—"

"—gotten a reputation for Potions brilliance you don't deserve."

"Give it a rest, Hermione!" Ginny snapped, and Bryt stared at her in shock, "By the sound of it, Malfoy was trying to use an Unforgivable Curse, you should be glad Harry had something good up his sleeve!"

"Well, of course I'm glad Harry wasn't cursed!" Hermione shot back, looking hurt, "But you can't call that Sectumsempra spell good, Ginny, look where it's landed him! And I'd have thought, seeing what this had done to your chances in the match—"

"Oh, don't start acting as though you understand Quidditch. You'll only embarrass yourself."

Bryt continued to stare at Ginny. It wasn't like her to last out at Hermione. The two of them got along so well. Their little argument left the group in an awkward silence that at least lasted until Bryt decided to go to bed. She didn't know how long it went after that.

As news hot around that Harry wouldn't be in the match that weekend, he suddenly was subject to glares and disappointed looks from the fellow Gryffindors. Bryt could only hope that they would win on Saturday, by enough points that they would win the cup overall. They hadn't lost a single game that season yet, so they had a very strong chance. Still, if they lost by so many, they'd end up in second place instead. Gryffindor had won the Quidditch Cup the past two years that the games were held, Bryt wanted them to win again.

Saturday came and Bryt made her way down to the pitch with the rest of the team, feeling nervous and anxious. It was the last match of the year. They had to win. Ron looked almost green and was fidgeting slightly next to her as they walked onto the pitch, staring at the Ravenclaw team across from them.

"You'll do brilliantly," Bryt said, "You haven't lost us a match yet. Don't let it get to you if you let one in, okay?"

Ron only nodded, still looking nervous. Bryt squeezed his hand and grinned at him, which he actually returned with his own nervous grin. That was better than the response she usually got when Quidditch matches started.

Soon, they were in the air. As usual, once she got flying, Bryt's nerves subsided somewhat. She could hear her brother Mike doing the commentary, though she tried not to focus too much on that. She had to keep an eye on the Bludgers, making sure she stopped as many as possible before they got to her teammates—and to stop the other team's Chasers.

Despite the tension riding on them and the absence of Harry, the game seemed to go as normally as any other. Bryt managed to knock Chasers from their course at least six different times, disrupting their chances at shots. That didn't mean they didn't score at all. Ron's nerves were obvious as he let in a few here or there, but from Mike's commentary, Bryt knew he was blocking far more than what got through.

'_He's not letting the misses get to him,'_ Bryt thought with relief, glancing to Ron, who had just managed to block a shot. Usually, once one went in, Ron only got worse and worse. The fact he was more hit-and-miss this game proved he was finally getting over his nerves.

It wasn't long, however, before it became obvious that Gryffindor was going to keep their lead. For every score Ravenclaw managed, Gryffindor managed at least three. Two hours into the game, Ravenclaw had barely a hundred points while Gryffindor was leading with three hundred. Even if Cho managed to catch the Snitch—which Bryt doubted, considering every time she glanced towards Cho and Ginny, Cho simply hovered near Ginny, watching the other Seeker rather than looking for the Snitch herself—Gryffindor was going to win this match.

"And it looks like Ginny Weasley has seen the Snitch! Cho Chang is right on her tail! It's a race to see who will get there first!" Mike called and Bryt spun on her broom, noticing Ginny had suddenly went racing across the field, Cho Chang right behind. Bryt looked around quickly and noticed a Bludger shooting towards her and smiled, not believing her luck. She readied her bat, keeping an eye on Cho, and waited.

Right as the Bludger got within striking distance, Bryt swung. The bat hit with a satisfied thwack and sent the Bludger soaring right towards Cho, who seemed too intent on shadowing Ginny that she didn't notice until it was too late. The Bludger collided into Cho's side, sending her into a roll and she gripped her broom as she plummeted slightly.

"Ouch, tough luck to Ravenclaw," Mike said and Bryt could just hear the wince in his voice. Bryt had been hit with Bludgers before—in fact, she broke her shoulder from one in the last match—but considering how Cho righted herself and glared up at Bryt, it looked like the girl was just winded. Bryt smiled back at her and waved the bat before racing off, keeping an eye on Ginny, who suddenly snatched at something in the air, then threw her hand up triumphantly.

"GINNY WEASLEY HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR WINS, FOUR-FIFTY TO ONE-HUNDRED!"

Bryt let out a whooping yell as she threw her fist into the air, laughing as the Gryffindor section of the crowd burst into cheers. They had won the match! They had won the Quidditch Cup!

The second Bryt landed, she ran to Ron and threw her arms around him, laughing as the rest of the team piled onto them. Everyone was cheering and laughing and Bryt felt happier than she had in weeks. Almost nothing compared to the joyous high she felt right now as they were presented the Quidditch Cup, which was passed around from member to member until it finally reached Ron's hands and he raised it over his head, sending off another round of cheers.

The celebration didn't end there. They screamed and cheered all the way to the Gryffindor common room, where they soon had their own little party going. Ron still had the cup and was in the middle of the crowd with Bryt and the rest of the team, all of them laughing and recounting parts of the game, even though it'd barely been half an hour since it finished. Bryt looked around and noticed her brother Mike nearby, talking a bit too closely with a blonde girl who seemed a year younger than him and shook her head, realizing she should have known he was going to end up with another girlfriend sooner or later. But right now, Bryt was still too happy to let it get to her. She made a note to ask about the girl later, turning back to the team for now.

The portrait door opened and Harry came in, obviously just finishing his first detention, and Bryt and Ron rushed forward.

"Harry, we won!" Ron said, "Four hundred and fifty to one hundred! We won!"

"We have the Quidditch Cup another year!" Bryt added.

Harry was grinning, then looked around just in time for Ginny to run up and throw her arms around him—then Harry did the one thing Bryt had been expecting for months: He kissed Ginny.

"Well it's about damn time!" Bryt said.

Ron suddenly looked dumbfounded and the room around them erupted into laughs and wolf whistles. After a moment, Harry and Ginny finally pulled away and Harry looked around, his gaze locking with Ron's.

Bryt looked over at Ron, a bit worried. She hadn't thought Ron would care much if Harry dated Ginny—after all, he knew him well enough to know Harry wouldn't cause any trouble. Still, it was a relief when Ron just gave a shrug and turned back to the party. Bryt laughed, looping her arm around Ron's, thinking that today couldn't get any better than what it was now.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Year Six is starting to draw to a close. I have another chapter ready to go up and have only a handful more to write, that I plan to plunge straight through and get them done. I will now start updating every Monday and Friday after today until Year Six is complete. That way as I'm updating Year Six with the completed chapters over time, it will give me the time to prepare Year Seven and start working on it so there won't be as long of a break between this story and the next.

A side note, the 'dark-haired boy' mentioned in this chapter as Katie Bell's boyfriend is a shout-out to my friend Chellenora's story "The Black Sheep" and her character Ethan Gage.


	31. Approaching Danger

With Harry and Ginny dating, it meant that Ginny started spending more time around their group than she usually did—and even more than she really should, since she was supposed to be studying for her OWLs. Hermione often scolded Harry for distracting Ginny, so it came to the point that Ginny and Harry only spent time together during meals or occasional times here and there in the common room, where they were now.

Bryt was leaning against Ron on the couch, fiddling with her pocket watch that was hanging around her neck, trying to fasten a tiny picture of her and Ron together on the inside of the cover while Hermione was writing with Julio again and Ginny was reading through a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ while leaning against Harry's legs. Their current topic was about all the gossip going through the school about Harry and Ginny's new relationship.

"You'd think people had better things to gossip about," Ginny said, looking up at Harry, "Three dementor attacks in a week, and all Romilda Vane does is ask me if it's true you've got a hippogriff tattooed across your chest."

Bryt snorted, though she had luckily already fastened the picture to her pocket watch and didn't mess it up. Ron and Hermione were both laughing, though Harry didn't seem amused.

"What did you tell her?" he asked.

"I told her it's a Hungarian Horntail," Ginny said, "Much more macho."

"Thanks," Harry said, "And what did you tell her Ron's got?"

"I said she had to go ask Bryt."

Bryt felt her face go red and she tossed a couch cushion at Ginny.

"Watch it," Ron said, looking a bit red himself, "Just because I've given my permission doesn't mean I can't withdraw it—"

"'_Your permission'_," Ginny said with a snort, "Since when do you give me permission to do anything? Anyway, you said yourself you'd rather it was Harry than Michael or Dean."

"Yeah, I would," Ron replied, "And just as long as you don't go snogging each other in public—"

"Ron, don't get started," Bryt said, cutting him off and gave Ginny a look when it seemed she was going to retort. Luckily, the subject was dropped and they soon moved on to something else to talk about.

These afternoons were rare, however, given Ginny having to study for OWL exams. More often than not, afternoons ended up like they were a few days later, where Bryt was along with Harry and Ron, working on homework while Hermione was in the library again, helping Ginny with her studying.

They had just gotten their books out when Hermione came back, sitting down at the table.

"I want to talk to you, Harry."

"What about?" Harry asked, giving her a cautious look, as if he were expecting another lecture on the cons of distracting Ginny from her studies.

"This so-called Half-Blood Prince."

'_Here we go again,'_ Bryt thought with a sigh. Harry hadn't thought it wise enough to go back for his Potions book, but that hadn't stopped Hermione from getting onto Harry's case about it. She seemed all too pleased that Harry was losing his spot as best in Potions—Bryt had to admit, she was a bit guilty of that as well. It was nice finally having her top spot back, and being recognized for it.

"I'm not dropping it until you've heard me out," Hermione said, "Now, I've been trying to find out a bit about who might make a hobby of inventing Dark spells—"

"He didn't make a hobby of it—" Harry started.

"There's no way to prove he invented it," Bryt pointed out.

"He, he—who says it's a he?" Hermione asked.

"We've been through this," Harry said, sounding annoyed, "_Prince_, Hermione, _Prince_!"

Hermione's face flushed, but she still looked determined as she held out an old newspaper clipping and slammed it down on the table hard enough to attract stares from nearby. "Look at that! Look at the picture!"

Bryt leaned forward with Harry and Ron to look at the newspaper clipping, where an awkward-looking overly-skinny teenaged girl was staring back at them and blinking occasionally. She didn't look very happy to be having her picture taken for a newspaper. Bryt glanced at the heading: _Eileen Prince, Captain of the Hogwarts Gobstones Team_.

"Oh," Bryt said, it dawning on Bryt what Hermione was getting at, "_Prince_."

Harry and Ron didn't seem to think the article meant anything, however, as they looked at each other and started laughing.

"You think she was the Half-Blood...Oh come on," Harry said. Bryt glared at him.

"Well, why not?" Hermione snapped, looking furious, "Harry, there aren't any real princes in the Wizarding World! It's either a nickname, a made-up title somebody's given themselves, or it could be an actual name, couldn't it? If, say, her father was a wizard whose surname was Prince and her mother was a Muggle, then that would make her a 'half-blood Prince'!"

"Yeah, very ingenious, Hermione," Ron said sarcastically. Bryt just felt herself getting angrier.

"Hermione's right," Bryt snapped, "It could very easily jus' be a name."

"Listen, I can tell it's not a girl," Harry said, looking as if he was fighting laughing again, "I can just tell."

"The truth is that you don't think a girl would be clever enough," Hermione snapped.

"How can I have hung round you and Bryt for five years and not think girls are clever?" Harry shot back, "It's the way he writes, I just know the Prince is a bloke, I can tell. This girl hasn't got anything to do with it. Where did you get this anyway?"

"The library," Hermione said, irritated, "There's a while collection of old _Prophets_ up there. Well, I'm going to find out more about Eileen Prince if I can."

"Enjoy yourself," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

"I will," Hermione shot back, "And the first place I will look is records of old Potions awards!"

Hermione left and Bryt glared at her friends.

"So a girl can't write the way your Half-Blood Prince can?" Bryt asked sharply, "All I got from readin' that book are lists of instructions. There's no way t'tell if a guy or girl wrote 'em."

"Oh Bryt, don't you start too," Ron groaned.

Bryt shoved herself to her feet and grabbed her book, resisting the urge to hit her friends over the heads with it.

"And if this is 'bout handwritin', I'll remind y'two that yer always goin' on 'bout _my_ handwritin' lookin' like a guy's. Y'two jus' want the Half-Blood Prince t'be a guy 'cause you don' wanna admit a girl would be proud of her heritage or ability with Potions."

"Er...Is everything okay?"

Bryt looked up quickly to see Mike had come over with his girlfriend, Heather, the girl Bryt had seen him talking with at the after-match celebration.

"Somethin' y'want?" Bryt asked, though she hadn't meant to snap at Mike. Mike didn't seem to think much of it, however, as he handed Harry a note.

"This is for you," he said, then took Heather by the hand and left. Bryt, despite her anger, turned back to Harry and Ron.

"It's from Dumbledore!" Harry said excitedly, "He wants me to go to his office as quick as I can!"

"Blimey...You don't reckon...He hasn't found..." Ron started and Bryt's anger vanished completely as she sat down. Had Dumbledore actually found a Horcrux?

"Better go and see, hadn't I?" Harry said, quickly hurrying off. Bryt just looked over at Ron, him seeming as curious as she was.

Bryt didn't know what to think. She and Ron quickly launched into theories about where Harry and Dumbledore were going to go, what would have ended up a Horcrux, and how they were going to destroy it. Nearly an hour later, Hermione returned and Bryt and Ron were quick to tell her about what had happened. Hermione looked curious and worried at the same time, but didn't have a chance to say anything because Harry came rushing back in.

"What did he want?" Hermione asked instantly, then seeming to notice the look on Harry's face, "Harry, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Harry said, barely even looking at them before disappearing up the stairs to the boys' dormitories. Bryt, Hermione, and Ron stared at each other in confusion and Harry was soon back downstairs, his cloak in one hand and a pair of socks in the other as he ran over.

"I've got to be quick," Harry said, sounding very out of breath, "Dumbledore thinks I'm getting my Invisibility Cloak. Listen...He's found a Horcrux, and we're about to head out to try and destroy it. But that's not what this is about. On the way to Dumbledore's office, I ran into Trelawney. She came across someone celebrating in the Room of Requirement. Don't you see what this means? Dumbledore won't be here tonight, so Malfoy's going to have another clear shot at whatever he's up to."

Bryt opened her mouth to argue, to say that Malfoy couldn't cause so much trouble and Harry needed to give up already, but Harry rushed on before she could.

"No, listen to me! I know it was Malfoy celebrating in the Room of Requirement. Here." Harry pulled the Marauder's Map from under the Invisibility Cloak and shoved it into Hermione's hands. "You've got to watch him and you've got to watch Snape too. Use anyone else who you can rustle up from the DA, Hermione, those contact Galleons will still work, right? Dumbledore says he's put extra protection in the school, but if Snape's involved, he'll know what Dumbledore's protection is, and how to avoid it—but he won't be expecting you lot to be on the watch, will he?"

"Harry—" Hermione started.

"I haven't got time to argue," Harry cut her off, "Take this as well." Harry shoved the socks into Ron's hands.

"Thanks," Ron said, confused, "Er—why do I need socks?"

"You need what's wrapped in them, it's the Felix Felicis. Share it between yourselves and Ginny too. Say goodbye to her for me. I'd better go, Dumbledore's waiting—"

"Harry, you should keep the potion," Bryt said, "I have my own upstairs, you'll need luck for whatever you and Dumbledore are going to do."

"I'll be fine, I'll be with Dumbledore," Harry said, "I want to know you lot are okay. Bryt, you can share yours with anyone who shows up."

Harry didn't wait for them to reply, he was already gone. Bryt stared after him, dumbfounded.

"I...I should go get my Felix Felicis then," Bryt said, noticing Ginny coming into the room—she had been in the library studying for her OWLs, "You explain everything to Ginny and go ahead and split the potion, I'll use mine and split the rest with whoever shows up. Hermione, you might want to start getting the word out to old DA members."

Bryt stood up and left up the stairs before anyone could respond. Every step, she found herself silently praying that her brothers and their friends didn't answer the DA call. She knew if there was a chance Harry was right, and trouble was brewing, they would need the help. But Bryt's brothers and their friends were only fourteen. She knew Ginny and Luna had only been fourteen last year with the chaos at the Ministry of Magic, but she couldn't deal with them being involved in any type of fight.

If they did show up and Bryt couldn't convince them to leave, Bryt would make sure they were the ones that had the Felix Felicis. She was going to give them every chance to make sure nothing what-so-ever happened to them.

Bryt pushed the thoughts away, just having to hope they wouldn't notice what was going on, and made it to her room and started going through her trunk immediately, digging to the bottom where she had the bottle tucked into a folded shirt.

At least, that's where the bottle was _supposed_ to be.

"Damn it," Bryt hissed, digging through her trunk again. Why couldn't she find the thing? She knew it was in there. She hadn't taken out of her trunk once since she won it back at the beginning of the school year.

Bryt suddenly froze, feeling sick as she remembered the bottle _had_ been taken from her trunk. Back during the Christmas holidays. Sofí had found the bottle in the bottom of Bryt's trunk and Bryt had taken it from her, afraid Sofí'd drop it. She had put it in a drawer of her desk, but hadn't she put it in her trunk afterwards? She couldn't remember doing so...Which most likely meant she hadn't.

This was not good.


	32. Battle at the Tower

When Bryt came back downstairs, she could tell Ron and Hermione had already filled Ginny in and split the Felix Felicis between them. Bryt sat down and explained to them how they wouldn't have her bottle. It was sitting in a desk drawer in London.

"We don't have any more of Harry's," Hermione said, looking a bit panicked.

Footsteps came down from the boys' dormitories and Bryt's heart stopped for a second, her first thought being Mike and his friends. She spun quickly, then let out a guilty sigh or relief when she noticed it was just Neville. She was glad to have the help in case there was the slight chance Harry was right and they needed it, but she didn't want her brothers involved in this.

"What's going on?" Neville asked, looking worried and his wand was gripped in his hand, "I felt something in my pocket and realized the old DA Galleon was getting hot. Did something happen?"

"We'll explain on the way," Hermione said, getting up, "I've just got this feeling we should get to the Room of Requirement as quickly as possible."

Bryt glanced at her and wondered if it had to do with the Felix Felicis Hermione had taken, so she didn't say anything as they all hurried off. Bryt and Ron gave Neville a very edited version of what was going on: Harry and Dumbledore were gone on an errand and something might happen that night, Harry believed Malfoy would be behind it, and it was up to them to keep an eye on things.

Bryt felt herself breathing easier as they got to the Room of Requirement and saw Luna there, and only Luna. It meant Drew and his friends hadn't noticed the coins. They were going to be safe. While Hermione filled Luna in on what was going on, Ron pulled Bryt to the side.

"What is it?" Bryt asked.

"I want you to stay close to me, okay?" he asked in a whisper, "I just got this...feeling...That you'll be safer staying close to me or Ginny. Maybe staying close will make the Felix Felicis rub off some or something."

"What about Hermione?" Bryt asked, her heart starting to pound. She knew Ron was talking from the luck potion, that there was something urging him to make sure she stayed close, but it had her worried about _why_ the potion wanted her to stay close by. Did that mean something really was going to happen tonight?

"We worked it out while you were upstairs," Ron said, "She's going to take one other and go down to keep an eye on Snape's office, to find out if he really is involved in this."

Bryt nodded, feeling anxious. She noticed Ron staring at her, as if he were worried, despite the liquid luck running through him. She gave him a weak smile.

"We'll be okay," Bryt said, "You're running on luck. Besides, I have this." Bryt held up her wrist, showing off the chipped turquoise stones strung around her wrist. "And I've gotten very good with nonverbal spells, not to mention defensive ones. I'll be fine."

She only hoped she wouldn't lock up. She'd had too many moments where that had happened to her in the past. The last thing she'd need is for it to happen again tonight. Not tonight. Not if something actually happened.

Ron seemed satisfied with Bryt's answer, however, and that made Bryt feel better. If his Felix Felicis was telling him things would be okay, then things would be okay.

Once everyone was up to speed on what was going on, Hermione and Luna left to go keep an eye on Snape while the rest of them waited outside the Room of Requirement.

Bryt kept her hand gripped on her wand while playing with her bracelet on her wrist, bouncing anxiously. She wanted so badly to talk about something, anything. She didn't like being quiet, but it didn't seem right to talk. She kept wondering if maybe Malfoy would hear her from inside the Room of Requirement. Bryt glanced next to her and noticed Neville looked just as nervous as she did, his face tight and his knuckles white from how hard he was gripping his wand. Ron and Ginny looked calm enough, however. Lucky them.

It was nearly an hour later and Bryt was beginning to wonder how long the Felix Felicis would last for the others. Maybe only around three hours, meaning they had two hours left. What would they do if the potion ran out? The only thing that was keeping Bryt calm was watching Ron and Ginny, seeing how they were. As long as the potion seemed to be keeping them easy, Bryt knew things would be okay.

"I think he's coming," Ginny said suddenly and Bryt looked over to see a door had appeared along the wall, which she knew led to the Room of Requirement. Bryt straightened herself up, slipping her bracelet back around her wrist and got herself ready, her heart starting to pound again. This was it.

The door opened and there was Malfoy, gripping what looked like a shriveled hand. Neville stepped forward and Malfoy turned towards them. For a moment, he looked paler than usual and simply stared at them. Bryt started to raise her wand, but Malfoy acted too quickly, throwing something at the ground and everything around them went pitch black.

Bryt immediately reached next to her and grabbed onto Ron's arm—or at least, she hoped it was Ron. He had been standing next to her. It was an odd sensation. She could feel her hand on Ron's arm and her other hand gripping her wand, but she couldn't see anything. The darkness around her seemed to press in, almost suffocatingly so, but Bryt couldn't help but wonder if it was her mind playing tricks on her.

Bryt could hear movement nearby. It sounded like several people. Malfoy had others with him. She felt her chest tighten with fear. Death Eaters? Had Harry been right about Malfoy on some task for Voldemort, that Malfoy had actually become a Death Eater himself?

Trying to push the thought from her mind—after all, the last thing she needed was those thoughts creeping into her mind and causing her to freeze up—and instead tried to push back the darkness around her. She tried to illuminate her wand, but it didn't work. From the mutters near her, it seemed her friends were trying the same. None of them seemed willing to try and send jinxes towards the unknown intruders. Too much of a chance of hitting their friends.

Ron started off, Bryt losing her grip on his arm. She cursed, stumbling through the darkness to try and catch up and she soon walked right into one of the walls. She felt along it until she finally hit light again and groaned, covering her eyes against the sudden brightness and noticed her friends stumbling out of the darkness around her.

"What way do you think they went?" Bryt asked. Ron immediately started scanning the Marauder's Map, but didn't get a chance to answer because they heard footsteps coming up the stairs. All four spun and raised their wands.

Then they all relaxed when they noticed the people coming weren't Malfoy or Death Eaters. Though Bryt was still surprised to see Lupin, Tonks, and Bill standing there.

"What are you four doing out or bed?" Lupin asked, looking surprised and a bit furious, "Don't you know how dangerous it is?"

"We were keeping watch," Bryt said nervously, "Malfoy's somewhere in the castle with a bunch of Death Eaters, we don't know how many. They just came out of the Room of Requirement—"

"There they are!" Ron said, having gone back to the map, "It looks like they're headed for the Astronomy Tower."

Lupin said it was best for Bryt and her friends to stay back while he and Bill went ahead—Tonks was going to go alert others in the castle what was going on—but the group didn't listen. As soon as Bill, Tonks, and Lupin were out of sight, Bryt and her friends took off for the Astronomy tower themselves, using shortcuts and relying on Ron and Ginny's instincts on Felix Felicis to find the fastest route.

Though when they finally rounded the corner where stairs led up to the tower, the group of Death Eaters were already in a fight with Lupin and Bill. Bryt stumbled to a stop and stared in horror as she noticed someone tackle Bill to the ground, blood spilling across the floor. Bill looked as if he were struggling to push the person away, but couldn't, and Bryt felt hypnotized. It was like staring at a crashing vehicle. A horrible thing that she just couldn't look away from, no matter how much she wanted to.

"Bryt, duck!"

Bryt felt herself yanked down and something green shot above her head down the hallway behind her and she felt like she was going to be sick as she realized just how close she had been to getting hit. She noticed someone throw a spell at the person on Bill, sending him skidding backwards. Bryt noticed Bill move slightly and Bryt breathed a sigh of relief, turning away. He was...well, maybe not fine. But he was alive. She needed to focus on keeping herself safe right now. Don't think, she told herself, just do. Just act and she wouldn't lock up. She wouldn't freeze in fear.

So Bryt focused on acting. She dodged curses fired at her and shot jinxes back. She didn't bother with saying the spells out loud. She had become good with nonverbal spells and thinking them seemed to help her focus more than trying to scream. As long as she focused on surviving and not on the battle itself, she'll be fine.

The corridor was becoming crowded as McGonagall and Tonks soon joined the fight and Bryt soon found herself pinned between two Death Eaters. Bryt started to panic, her heard pounding wildly and her wand slick in her hand from sweat. She kept looking back and forth between them as she backed herself against the wall. She wasn't about to have her back to either of them. Both raised their wands and Bryt went with instinct again. She threw up a shield and squeezed her eyes shut.

Bryt felt herself pushed back into the wall slightly from the impact on her shield and heard a loud thud. She opened her eyes and noticed one of the Death Eaters sprawled across the floor now and the other was screaming at a huge blond man nearby. Bryt backed away, turning to another Death Eater, this one a squat woman. On instinct, Bryt went for a disarming spell, sending the woman's wand skidding across the floor. Bryt dove for it, but was caught by the wrist. She spun and noticed the woman she had just disarmed had her in a vice grip and had a smile that made Bryt sick to her stomach.

Bryt threw up her wand again with the first thought that went through her mind: _Impedimenta._ The woman went flying backwards and Bryt felt something snap against her wrist, but she didn't feel any pain and she could still move her wrist, so she didn't bother checking for any cuts.

"They're heading for the stairs!"

Bryt spun at the shout to see the Death Eaters—minus the one on the corridor floor that Bryt had a nauseating feeling was dead—were running up the stairs. Neville was the first to chase after, but he didn't get far. He hit the bottom stair and was sent flying backwards into the opposite wall. Bryt immediately ran over, her heart pounding.

"I'm fine," Neville groaned, but allowed Bryt to help him up as the others started firing Reductor Curses at the barrier.

Bryt was breathing heavily now, her entire body was trembling. There was a break in the battle, which meant she had nothing to react to. She could stop and just think. There was nothing to keep her moving, to keep her acting on instincts. She looked around her and saw the aftermath of their fight. The dead Death Eater. Bill had been pulled to the side, his face and chest covered in gaping wounds that made Bryt feel as if she were going to throw up. Tonks was kneeling next to him, trying to cover up those gashes. Bryt turned away quickly, praying Bill would be okay. She couldn't help but think those wounds couldn't have been caused by a human. The figure had looked human, though. She tried not to think about what could have actually attacked Bill. Not now, anyway.

Bryt looked around her again. The others seemed to be fine, at least. Most had scrapes and bruises, but Ron and Ginny didn't have a single scratch, much to Bryt's relief.

Green lights started flying from the other side of the barrier and everyone dove for cover, Bryt finding hers behind a statue in a small alcove. Bryt felt something grip her shoulder and glanced up, instantly feeling more at ease when she realized Ron was next to her. He had his arm pulled around her and keeping her down as the killing curse one of the Death Eaters was firing off was ricocheting around the corridor.

Bryt saw someone running by and noticed it was Snape. She looked at Ron, instantly wondering what had happened to Hermione and Luna. Ron seemed to read her expression because he started digging in his pocket for the Marauder's Map.

"They're fine," Ron whispered, "They're down in Snape's office with Professor Flitwick."

Bryt nodded in relief, trying to lean out from the statue for a look at what was going, but a green light hit the wall nearby and she ducked again, burying her face against Ron.

"We have to move," Ron said, sounding panicked. A bad thing when he was still under the effects of the Felix Felicis. Ron pulled Bryt out from behind the statue just as the ceiling started to collapse around them. Bryt let out a scream and stumbled backwards as stone rained down.

She felt herself thrown to the ground, pain erupting through her entire body. Her vision went black for a moment and Bryt heard Ron calling her name from far off. Slowly, everything came back into focus, dust settling around them. Bryt tried to move and not only nearly blacked out from pain again, but realized she was physically unable to move. She looked down and soon saw why she was hurting so much. A part of the ceiling had pinned her leg.

"Bryt, are you okay?" Ron asked. He had knelt next to Bryt and pointed his wand to the huge stone, which floated into the air and to the side before crashing again.

"Think so," Bryt said, starting to stand up. She let out a scream and collapsed against Ron, who pulled her down as a streak of green rushed past them. Bryt noticed the Death Eaters were running down the hallway now, heading away from the group, away from the fighting. They were retreating. The fight was over.

Relief rushed through Bryt has she gave a weak laugh. She'd survived. They'd all survived. Or at least, she hoped so. She turned towards Bill, then stared in shock as she noticed Harry suddenly running down the corridor after the Death Eaters. She vaguely heard others shouting for Harry to come back, but all sounds started coming from further and further away as she watched him pass. Every move she made sent waves of nauseating pain shooting up from her leg and it was only by Ron's arms around her that she managed to stay upright at all.

Out of habit, Bryt reached for her wrist for the comfort of her bracelet, but all she felt was bare skin. She looked down, her fear confirmed as she noticed there was nothing there. Her heart started pounding wildly as she looked around for any sign of the bracelet. Maybe it had only slipped off and she'd see it nearby.

Instead, Bryt saw nothing. Not even a single blue stone among the rubble.

Slowly, Bryt remembered feeling something snap against her wrist during the fight, when the female Death Eater had been blasted away from Bryt. The woman must have caught her hand on Bryt's bracelet and caused the band to snap.

Bryt looked around her again and realized that the bracelet was no longer whole. The stones were scattered across the corridor, hidden or crushed beneath the rubble of the ceiling.

It was gone. Bryt's lucky charm. The bracelet that had rested on Bryt's wrist since she was twelve was gone.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I have begun writing on Year Seven now, and am eager to get it started. So, my updates will be Monday, Wednesday, and Friday this week, and the final chapter of Year Six going up next Monday. One more week and Year Six will be completed.


	33. Aftermath

"Will Bill be okay?"

No one seemed to have an answer for Bryt. They were currently all gathered in the hospital wing—except for Ginny, who'd gone to look for Harry and Dumbledore, and McGonagall, though Bryt couldn't remember where McGonagall had gone. Probably to contact Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to let them know what had happened.

Madam Pomfrey had been quick about healing Bryt's broken leg. It only took a couple of minutes and then Bryt was free to go. She didn't want to leave the hospital wing, however, and was now sitting next to Ron, leaning against him and gripping his hand tightly.

Neville, on the other hand, had apparently been hit with a stray curse. He had been conscious but out of breath when he came into the hospital wing with them, but was now sleeping on a nearby bed.

Bill was far worse. He was covered in slashes and looked worse than Bryt had seen at first glance in the battle. Madam Pomfrey had already tried several different types of treatments, including some type of charm that sounded more like a song. She was currently trying to use some nauseating-smelling green goo to cover the wounds.

Bryt heard Lupin saying that it had been Fenrir Greyback who had attacked Bill and Bryt was horrified. She had read enough about werewolf attacks to know how bad they were. The wounds didn't like to heal. But Fenrir Greyback hadn't been transformed during the battle, it wasn't a full moon. Bryt wasn't sure what that would mean for Bill, however. She'd never read of an attack like this one.

Bryt looked around the room. Lupin and Tonks standing nearby, watching Madam Pomfrey work. Hermione and Luna were sitting in a couple of chairs, neither saying a word. Hermione had been upset when she heard of the battle going on above her head while she stayed downstairs with an unconscious Flitwick, but Bryt had reminded her that the lucky potion had urged Hermione to stay there, so that meant it had to be for the best.

Bryt looked back at Bill, praying he would be okay. For probably the fifth time in the past few minutes, she reached for the bracelet no longer around her wrist and felt bare skin. At that, she tightened her grip on Ron's hand, her free hand starting to twist the bottom of her shirt nervously. She didn't like not having that bracelet. It had been a comfort, something to calm her for the past five years. Now the stones were scattered across the corridor near the astronomy tower, most of which were probably now crushed beneath the pieces of collapsed ceiling. There would be no chance of repairing it.

The doors to the hospital wing opened and Bryt looked up to see Ginny had returned with Harry. Hermione immediately rushed over and hugged him and Bryt noticed something was wrong. She didn't like the look on Harry's face. She hadn't seen him that upset since the year before when Sirius had died.

Harry, Ginny, and Hermione made their way back over as Harry asked about Bill, but no one had an answer for him. Just like they didn't answer Bryt.

"Can't you fix him with a charm or something?" Harry asked, looking at Madam Pomfrey.

"No charm will work on these," the woman replied, "I've tried everything I know, but there is no cure for werewolf bites."

"But he wasn't bitten at the full moon," Ron said weakly, looking away from Bill for the first time to stare at Lupin, "Greyback hadn't transformed, so surely Bill won't be—a real..."

Ron's hand tightened around Bryt's and she nudged him slightly, wishing she knew what to do to comfort him. At least she could just sit here, be beside him. She looked up at Lupin herself, waiting for the answer.

"No, I don't think that Bill will be a true werewolf," Lupin said and Bryt let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, then felt guilty being relieved that Bill wasn't going to be a werewolf while she was sitting here talking to one. Though she had a feeling Lupin would be more relieved than anyone that Bill wasn't going to share that curse.

"But that does not mean that there won't be some contamination," Lupin went on, "Those are cursed wounds. They are unlikely ever going to heal fully, and—and Bill might have some wolfish characteristics from now on."

"Dumbledore might know something that'd work, though," Ron said hopefully. Bryt sat up a bit straighter, realizing Ron was right. "Where is he? Bill fought those maniacs on Dumbledore's orders, Dumbledore owes him, he can't leave him in this state—"

"Ron...Dumbledore's dead," Ginny said quietly.

Bryt froze, staring at Ginny and Harry, feeling sick. Surely she had just heard wrong. This had to be some kind of sick prank. Dumbledore couldn't be dead. He just _couldn't_ be. It had to be some type of mistake. Dumbledore was...Well, he was_ Dumbledore_. The greatest wizard of all time. How could he be gone?

But Bryt could tell from that pained look on Harry's face that it was true. She had known when Harry walked in that his look meant something horrible had happened...She just hadn't expected it to be this.

Bryt felt an arm pull around her and she glanced up at Ron, who was staring horror-struck at Harry. Bryt leaned against him, feeling slightly better for his warmth against her side.

"How did he die?" Tonks asked in a whisper, "How did it happen?"

"Snape killed him," Harry said and Bryt stared at Harry in shock. Harry had always insisted Snape was up to something, but Dumbledore had always insisted Snape was truly a part of the Order, that he was on their side. Bryt had trusted Dumbledore's judgment, despite how much she disliked Snape. But to find out now they were all wrong...

"I was there, I saw it," Harry went on, "We arrived back on the Astronomy Tower because that's where the Mark was...Dumbledore was ill, he was weak, but I think he realized it was a trap when we heard footsteps running up the stairs. He immobilized me, I couldn't do anything, I was under the Invisibility Cloak—and then Malfoy came through the door and disarmed him—more Death Eaters arrived—and then Snape—and Snape did it. _The Avada Kedavra_."

Bryt couldn't imagine what it had to be like, to stand there, unable to move and watch someone be murdered...She had locked up in fear several times and saw her friends injured and it was horrible enough as it was, but they had never been killed. They were still here. She couldn't help but think about the various scrapes she'd been in trough the years. What would have happened if things had turned out differently? If she stood frozen while Ron was killed, or Harry or Hermione? Or any of her friends?

Bryt felt tears staring to form, but she couldn't let herself cry. Not here. So she fell back on her usual coping. She got herself angry. At the Death Eaters. At Snape. She gripped her hands tightly. Dumbledore had trusted Snape, and this was how he'd been repaid.

"Listen!" Ginny said suddenly.

Bryt straightened herself up next to Ron and heard it. Somewhere in the distance, music was going. A bird song that seemed as if it seeped right through Bryt's skin, straight down to her bones. It seemed to embody all the grief and horrible sickness running through Bryt and she, without knowing exactly how, just knew it was Fawkes, Dumbledore's pet phoenix.

Bryt sat, mesmerized by the sound. She stared in front of her without really seeing, letting the music wash over her, taking away some of her misery. All that existed was the music flowing around them. Flowing through them.

"Molly and Arthur are on their way."

Bryt's daze was shattered, the spell of the song gone, even though Fawkes still sung in the background. Bryt looked over to see McGonagall had returned without her noticing, looking worn and tired.

"Harry, what happened?" McGonagall asked, "According to Hagrid you were with Professor Dumbledore when he—when it happened. He says Professor Snape was involved in some—"

"Snape killed Dumbledore."

McGonagall stared in horror and looked as if she might faint. Bryt couldn't blame her. Madam Pomfrey rushed forward and pushed a chair under McGonagall just as their Transfiguration teacher collapsed.

"Snape," McGonagall echoed weakly, "We always wondered...but he trusted...always..._Snape_...I can't believe it..."

"Snape was a highly accomplished Occlumens. We always knew that," Lupin said, sounding harsh. Bryt stared at him in surprise. She'd never heard Lupin sound so hostile, not since the night in the Shrieking Shack when he confronted Wormtail over Harry's parents' deaths.

"But Dumbledore swore he was on our side!" Tonks said in disbelief, "I always thought Dumbledore must know something about Snape that we didn't..."

"He always hinted that he had an ironclad reason for trusting Snape," McGonagall said weakly, tears running down her face. Bryt squirmed uncomfortably and looked away. McGonagall was the strong, stern teacher that Bryt looked up to and respected. It didn't seem right seeing her so upset.

"I mean," McGonagall went on, "With Snape's history...of course people were bound to wonder...but Dumbledore told me explicitly that Snape's repentance was absolutely genuine...Wouldn't hear a word against him!"

"I'd love to know what Snape told him to convince him," Tonks said bitterly.

"I know," Harry said and Bryt looked over at him, "Snape passed Voldemort the information that made Voldemort hunt down my mum and dad. Then Snape told Dumbledore he hadn't realized what he was doing, he was really sorry he'd done it, sorry that they were dead."

Bryt just stared at Harry in disbelief. Snape sorry that someone he hated was dead? True, there were people Bryt hated, but she wouldn't want to see them dead. After all, as much as she despised Malfoy and took any opportunity to pay him back for the crap he gave others, she wouldn't want him dead. She doubted she'd even want _Snape_ dead, despite what had just happened. It just didn't seem right. But Snape, he seemed like the type who didn't care. He had killed a man who trusted him. Bryt had no trouble believing Snape was never sorry for a second that James Potter was dead.

"And Dumbledore believed that?" Lupin asked, "Dumbledore believed Snape was sorry James was dead? Snape _hated_ James..."

"And he didn't think my mother was worth a damn either," Harry said sharply, "Because she was Muggleborn...'Mudblood', he called her..."

The room fell silent as everyone tried to sort out what had happened. Dumbledore was really dead...Snape had killed him. Bryt shuddered as the thought sunk in and she felt Ron squeeze her shoulder, so she leaned into him again. She couldn't quite wrap her mind around the fact. A man who she respected was gone. A great man who seemed larger than life was dead. Killed by a man who had taught Bryt four six years. She had sat at a desk and learned Potion-making from him, then later how to defend herself against the Dark Arts. Six years of sitting in a classroom with him, being taught by him. And he turned out to be a murderer.

"This is all my fault," McGonagall said, twisting a handkerchief in her hands, "My fault. I sent Filius to fetch Snape tonight, I actually sent for him to come and help us! If I hadn't alerted Snape to what was going on, he might never have joined forces with the Death Eaters. I don't think he knew they were there before Filius told him, I don't think he knew they were coming."

"It isn't your fault, Minerva," Lupin said, "We all wanted more help, we were glad to think Snape was on his way..."

"So when he arrived at the fight, he joined in on the Death Eaters' side?" Harry asked, leaning forward in his chair.

"I don't know exactly what happened," McGonagall said slowly, "It's all so confusing...Dumbledore had told us that he would be leaving the school for a few hours and that we were to patrol the corridors just in case...Remus, Bill, and Nymphadora were to join us...and so we patrolled. All seemed quiet. Every secret passageway out of the school was covered. We knew nobody could fly in. There were powerful enchantments on every entrance into the castle. I still don't know how the Death Eaters can possibly have entered..."

"I do," Harry said, "There was this broken Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement. It's match was in Borgin and Burkes. Malfoy's been repairing the broken one all year, he used it to get the Death Eaters inside. So they got in through the Room of Requirement."

Harry looked over to where Bryt, Hermione, and Ron were sitting and Bryt averted her gaze, knowing he had to be wondering what had happened to their guard duty.

"I messed up, Harry," Ron said quietly, "We did like you told us. We checked the Marauder's Map and we couldn't see Malfoy on it, so we thought he must be in the Room of Requirement, so me, Ginny, Bryt, and Neville went to keep watch on it...But Malfoy got past us."

Slowly, they began to explain what happened, from Malfoy using that powder to plunge everyone into darkness, to running into Lupin and the others, and the fight at the base of the Astronomy Tower.

"So if Ron was watching the Room of Requirement with Bryt, Neville, and Ginny," Harry turned towards Hermione, "Were you—?"

"Outside Snape's office, yes," Hermione said in a whisper, looking on the verge of crying, "With Luna. We hung around for ages outside it and nothing happened...We didn't know what was going on upstairs, Ron had taken the map...It was nearly midnight when Professor Flitwick came sprinting down into the dungeons. He was shouting about Death Eaters in the castle, I don't think he really registered that Luna and I were there at all, he just burst his way into Snape's office and we heard him saying that Snape had to go back with him and help and then we heard a loud thump and Snape came hurtling out of his room and he saw us and—and—I was so stupid, Harry! He said Professor Flitwick had collapsed and that we should go and take care of him while he—while he went to help fight the Death Eaters..." Hermione slumped back in her chair slightly, burying her face in her hands. Bryt wanted to reach over to her, but couldn't seem to get herself to move. It was like all her energy had been washed away. "We went into his office to see if we could help Professor Flitwick and found him unconscious on the floor...and oh, it's so obvious now, Snape must have Stupefied Flitwick, but we didn't realize, Harry, we didn't realize, we just let Snape go!"

"It's not your fault," Lupin said, putting a hand on Hermione's shoulder, "Hermione, had you not obeyed Snape and gotten out of the way, he probably would have killed you and Luna."

Bryt tightened her grip on Ron's hand, feeling sick at the thought. She found herself all the more glad that they hadn't joined in the fight earlier.

"So then he came upstairs," Harry said, "And he found the place where you were all fighting..."

Again, they took turns explaining what had happened. Bryt, who had been too wrapped up in the chaos and trying to keep herself, kept quiet and listened, though she didn't learn much new. Everyone was confused by the chaos around them, though they pieced everything together well enough. The Death Eaters had chased after Malfoy up to the tower, blocking the stairway. Snape had arrived and made it through the barrier, but Lupin had only thought Snape knew a spell they didn't and had thought Snape was going after the Death Eaters in the tower.

"He was," Harry said, looking furious, "But to help the, not stop them...And I'll bet you had to have a Dark Mark to get through that barrier—so what happened when he came back down?"

"Well, the big Death Eater had just fired off a hex that caused half the ceiling to fall in, and also broke the curse blocking the stairs," Lupin said. Bryt reached down slightly and touched her now-healed leg, remembering that blinding pain when the ceiling had collapsed and pinned her.

"We all ran forward—those of us who were still standing anyway," Lupin went on, "And then Snape and the boy emerged out of the dust—obviously, none of us attacked them—"

"We just let them pass," Tonks said, "We thought they were being chased by the Death Eaters—and next thing, the other Death Eaters and Greyback were back and we were fighting again—I thought I heard Snape shout something, but I don't know what—"

"He shouted 'It's over'. He'd done what he'd meant to do," Harry whispered.

The room fell silent again, the only sound being Fawkes's singing echoing through the school. Bryt closed her eyes, wondering if the rest of the school had realized what was going on, or if they had all slept through it. Were her brothers still in their beds, fast asleep and unaware of what had happened? Their friends? Bryt's friends who hadn't been here tonight?

The doors to the hospital wing opened and Bryt jumped, looking up to see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had arrived, along with Fleur. All three of them look terrified.

"Molly—Arthur—" McGonagall hurried over to the three new arrivals, "I am so sorry—"

"Bill!" Mrs. Weasley didn't seem to hear McGonagall as she raced across the room to her son, "Oh, _Bill_!"

Bryt squirmed uncomfortably again, turning away. She noticed Mr. Weasley's face was pale as he turned to McGonagall and Fleur seemed to be frozen, standing rooted to the spot and staring at Bill in horror. Bryt found herself thinking back to months ago, when Ron had been poisoned and how she'd reacted to it, and found herself sympathizing with Fleur for the first time since they met each other. Seeing someone you loved near death was not something Bryt would wish on anyone.

"You said Greyback attacked him?" Mr. Weasley asked weakly, "But he hasn't transformed? So what does that mean? What will happen to Bill?"

"We don't yet know," McGonagall replied, looking over at Lupin.

"There will probably be some contamination, Arthur," Lupin admitted slowly, looking over to where Mrs. Weasley had taken over dabbing Bill's wounds with the nauseating goo, "It's an odd case, possibly unique...We don't know what his behavior might be like when he awakens..."

"And Dumbledore..." Mr. Weasley seemed almost afraid to ask, "Minerva, is it true...Is he really..."

McGonagall gave a small nod and Mr. Weasley seemed to go even paler than he already was.

"Dumbledore gone," he said weakly, looking as if he might faint.

"Of course, it doesn't matter how he looks..." Mrs. Weasley said, apparently oblivious to the conversation behind her, staring down at Bill, "It's not r-really important...but he was a very handsome little b-boy...always very handsome...and he was g-going to be married!"

"And what do you mean by zat?" Fleur seemed to have found her voice again, straightening herself up and looking furious, "What do you men ''e was _going_ to be married'?"

Mrs. Weasley looked up, tears running down her face, and Bryt tensed against Ron, afraid of the fight that seemed to be starting.

"Well," Mrs. Weasley started, "Only that—"

"You theenk Bill will not wish to marry me anymore?" Fleur cut in, "You theenk, because of these bites, he will not love me?"

"No, that's not what I—"

"Because 'e will! It would take more zan a werewolf bite to stop Bill loving me!"

"Well, yes, I'm sure...But I thought perhaps—given how—how he—"

"You thought I would not weesh to marry him? Or per'aps, you hoped?" Fleur looked even more furious now, and Bryt couldn't help but think about at the Quidditch World Cup when the veela grew angry and turned into those horrible-looking creatures. Though Fleur didn't—or perhaps couldn't since she was only one-quarter veela—transform, she still seemed like a very frightening force to deal with.

"What do I care how he looks?" Fleur went on, "I am good-looking enough for both of us, I theenk! All these scars show is zat my husband is brave! And I shall do zat!"

Bryt stared as Fleur snatched about the green ointment and shoved Mrs. Weasley to the side, sitting down on the side of the bed and taking over treating Bill's wounds. Bryt looked up at Mrs. Weasley, fearful of the fallout that was about to happen as Ron's mother stared at Fleur as if she were seeing her for the first time. The room had gone very tense, as if no one dared breathe for fear of tipping the scale and sending everything crashing down.

"Our Great-Auntie Muriel has a very beautiful tiara," Mrs. Weasley finally said, "Goblin-made—which I am sure I could persuade her to lend you for the wedding. She is very fond of Bill, you know, and it would look lovely with your hair."

"Thank you," Fleur replied in a stiff voice, "I am sure zat will be lovely."

Bryt stared between them for a second, then the two women started crying and hugging each other. If Bryt had any energy, she would have fallen from her chair in shock. She simply stared at them, then looked around the room where everyone else seemed as stunned as she felt.

"You see!" Tonks cried out, spinning on Lupin as she pointed towards Fleur, "She still wants to marry him, even though he's been bitten! She doesn't care!"

"It's different," Lupin replied in a weak voice, staring at a spot on the wall, "Bill will not be a full werewolf. The cases are completely—"

"But I don't care either, I don't care!" Tonks said, "I've told you a million times..."

Bryt didn't think she could be any more surprised, but now she was. She knew Emily had said Tonks had been having problems with her metamorphic abilities, Harry had seen her around the castle seeming upset. Not to mention how Tonks had seemed when they ran into her in Hogsmeade. But Bryt had always credited it to grieving over Sirius's death. Not being in love.

"And I've told _you_ a million times," Lupin said, still not looking at Tonks, "That I am too old for you, too poor...too dangerous..."

"I've said all along you're taking a ridiculous line on this, Remus," Mrs. Weasley said from where she was still hugging Fleur.

"I'm not being ridiculous," Lupin said, "Tonks deserves somebody young and whole."

"But she wants you," Mr. Weasley said, then gesturing towards Bill, "And after all, Remus, young and whole men do not necessarily remain so."

"This is...not the moment to discuss it," Lupin said, seeming to be going for any excuse to end the conversation, "Dumbledore is dead..."

"Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to think that there was a little more love in the world," McGonagall said in the same tone she used when scolding students as Hagrid came in.

Bryt stared at the half-giant in pity, swallowing hard. He had obviously been crying for a while, looking worse than when he was expecting the execution of Buckbeak. It sent another wave of threatening tears to Bryt's eyes and she looked away, trying to fight them back.

"I've...I've done it, Professor..." Hagrid managed, "M-moved him. Professor Sprout's got the kids back in bed. Professor Flitwick's lyin' down, but he says he'll be all righ' in a jiffy, an' Professor Slughorn says the Ministry's bin informed."

Bryt bit her lip slightly as Hagrid mentioned students being sent back to bed. She couldn't help but wonder if her brothers had been among them. Did they know about Dumbledore now? What were they thinking? Would Mike notice Bryt and her friends weren't back in the common room? Bryt suddenly had the overwhelming urge to go back to the common room, to be with Mike and assure him things would be okay. She desperately wanted to do the same for Drew, but she knew she wouldn't be able to get to him. She didn't even know where the Hufflepuff common room was aside from somewhere near the kitchens.

McGonagall stood up, saying she was going to call a meeting with the Heads of Houses—with Slughorn standing in Snape's place—and for Hagrid to be at the meeting as well. She then instructed Bryt and her friends to head back to their own common rooms, to give the others time alone with Bill, and said she wanted to speak with Harry before he left.

Bryt stood up slowly, still leaning on Ron for support. Her leg had been healed, but she still felt as if she could barely walk. She allowed Ron to lead her on through the castle, following behind Hermione and Ginny after Luna left on her own for the Ravenclaw common room. They soon reached the Gryffindor common room, where they found most everyone still awake, crowded into the room and whispering among themselves.

"Bryt, you should head to bed," Ron whispered, looking worried, "You seem like you're about to fall over."

"But..." Bryt said, scanning the room until she found her brother, sitting in a corner and hugging Heather, who seemed to be crying into his shirt. He caught Bryt's eye and gave a small smile and mouthed 'I'm okay'. Bryt frowned, still wanting to go talk to him, but Ron was right. Bryt was exhausted. She needed to get to sleep.

"You can talk to your brothers tomorrow," Hermione said, "It looks like he's needed elsewhere anyway."

Bryt finally gave in and nodded. She gave Ron a hug, reluctant to let ago, but she finally did and let Hermione and Ginny lead her upstairs.


	34. Sullen Days

Bryt didn't sleep well at all that night. She tossed and turned, riddled with nightmares of the battle she had gone through and learning of Dumbledore's death. It often shifted to her parents being the ones dead, or her brothers, or Ron, or any of her friends. Fawkes's song came in and out of her dreams as well, despite the fact that the phoenix had long since stopped singing.

Bryt was awoken rudely the next morning to the sound of a trunk slamming shut. She sat up and looked over to see Parvati crying and looking frustrated. It turned out her mother was there and was refusing to let her and Padma stay for Dumbledore's funeral. She was taking them home immediately. Bryt had hugged her roommate, wishing she could at least stay for the funeral. After one last goodbye, Lavender helped Parvati take her trunk away.

The Patil twins weren't the only ones. Several students were being taken away, though there were others that refused to leave. Seamus even got into an argument with his mother in the middle of the entrance hall until she finally relented and said he could stay for Dumbledore's funeral. The word was already getting around that there was a strong possibility that Hogwarts would close its doors permanently after what had happened.

Bryt had spent breakfast that morning with Mike and Drew—no one seemed to have cared that Drew had left the Hufflepuff table to sit with his brother and sister. In fact, as Bryt looked around, she saw there were several places where people were not sitting at their House table, opting instead to sit with family or friends. She noticed Noah had abandoned the Slytherins to sit with his cousin Megan, who seemed quiet for the first time since Bryt had met her.

Though Bryt's breakfast was quiet—and none of them ate much—when they were done, Mike and Drew stated they wanted to spend time with their friends, so Bryt was left to catch up to Ron, Hermione, and Harry—who she found sitting in an empty classroom as classes and exams had been suspended.

"Mike and Drew okay?" Hermione asked.

"They want to spend time with their friends," Bryt answered, coming over and sitting next to Ron, snuggling up against him. She reached for her bracelet that was no longer there and sighed. She wondered if she'd ever get used to it no longer being there.

"Your bracelet's gone," Ron said and Bryt looked up at him. Bryt wasn't surprised he noticed. That bracelet had been on Bryt's wrist since she was twelve and she played with it often. Her not having it would be like if she woke up one morning and decided to wear a dress.

"It snapped during the battle, it's fine," Bryt said with a grin, then turned back to Harry, "How did things go last night? Did you find a Horcrux?"

It was the one thing she'd been clinging to. That Harry and Dumbledore had found the Horcrux they had been after. It meant last night was worth it, that Dumbledore's death had not been for nothing. That Bill hadn't been mauled by Greyback for nothing.

That was why Bryt felt so devastated when Harry shook his head.

Harry slowly started explaining what had happened. He and Dumbledore headed out to Hogsmeade before Apparating to a cave where Voldemort had tormented children during his days at the orphanage. He explained how they had to use a small boat to get to a tiny island in the middle of a small lake in the cave. He told them about the locket being in a basin under a potion that Dumbledore drank, a potion that had weakened him. They had gotten the locket and had to escape an attack from Inferi that had been in the lake. He and Dumbledore finally managed to get out of the cave and Apparated back to Hogsmeade, where they found Rosemerta and noticed the Dark Mark over Hogwarts. They borrowed brooms from Rosemerta and made their way back.

Bryt felt sick. All that work Harry went through. That battle they went through here at Hogwarts. Bill mauled by Greyback, never to be the same. Dumbledore dead. All for nothing.

"And, well, you know what happened after that," Harry finished. Bryt nodded slowly. Harry had told them about Dumbledore's death in the Hospital Wing the day before.

"But how do you know the locket was a fake?" she asked, still feeling quite let down. That Horcrux was the one thing she had been counting on, and now it was gone.

"I checked it," Harry whispered, "After everything calmed down. Here, look."

Harry pulled out a small locket and held it out. Bryt took it, noticing it was very unremarkable. It was light and had a smooth cover, no design on it at all. Nothing to say it had once belonged to Salazar Slytherin. Bryt slowly opened it and found a small sheet of paper inside, which she unrolled and read as Hermione leaned over her shoulder the best she could since Bryt was still leaning against Ron.

_To the Dark Lord_

_I know I will be dead long before you read this_

_but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret._

_I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can._

_I face death in the hope that when you meet your match,_

_you will be mortal once more._

_R.A.B._

"R.A.B.?" Bryt asked, feeling a tug at the back of her mind. Somehow, the initials seemed familiar, but she couldn't figure out why.

"Who could he be?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Whoever he was, or is," Harry replied, "He has the real Horcrux."

"Maybe he's already destroyed it," Bryt said hopefully.

"He still needs to be tracked down," Harry said, "To be sure. If he's destroyed it, then great. One less. But if he hasn't..."

Harry didn't need to finish that sentence. Bryt knew where it was going. If this R.A.B. hadn't destroyed the Horcrux, then that meant that someone still had to. And Bryt had the strong feeling that Harry was going to want to do it himself.

"I can look in the library, see if I can find anything," Hermione said.

"There's...There's something else," Harry said, looking as if the next part was something he didn't want to admit.

"What?" Bryt and Ron asked together.

Harry glanced over at Hermione, as if he were worried about what she'd say to this news.

"Well...It turns out that Snape was the one who owned my Potions book before..." Harry said, tensing just saying Snape's name, "He was the Half-Blood Prince."

"_What_?" Bryt asked in shock, "Are you sure?"

"He told me," Harry said bitterly, "When he was escaping. I tried using the spell from the book, and he told me."

"But...That means he would have known where you got that spell from after you got in that duel with Malfoy," Hermione said weakly, "Why didn't he turn you in?"

"I don't know," Harry said with a sigh, looking out the window. Bryt stared at him, still not quite understanding. She knew it had to make sense. Snape had been the Potions teacher before this year. That showed he was obviously very good with Potions. Yet somehow, she couldn't wrap her mind around the fact Harry had been using his old Potions book and Bryt had been admiring the tips she'd learned from it.

'Or maybe I can,' Bryt thought bitterly, remembering the obviously Dark spells that had been written in the book. She had always passed them off, that they were just notes of spells used against the guy. But now it was so obvious that they were for other reasons. Why hadn't she seen it before? Was she just that blinded by the good tips on potion making she'd been able to get from the book?

Over the next few days, however, Bryt tried to keep those thoughts out of her mind. She spent most of her time with her friends. Whenever she asked if her brothers needed anything, they would always reply they wanted to be with their own friends. Bryt often saw Mike sitting in a small group with Natalie, Jimmy, and Heather. Drew was always with his friends Owen and Kevin. So instead, Bryt spent her time with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny.

A few days after Dumbledore's death, Bryt received a letter from her parents, who had found out about the death from Emily. Just from the tone of the letter, Bryt could tell her parents were worried. She found herself desperately wanting to be home, wanting to hug her parents and let them know she was fine. That her brothers were fine. She tried to reassure them in a letter home, but he didn't know how much words on a piece of parchment would be worth.

When not walking around the grounds with Ron, Harry, Ginny, and Hermione when she wasn't in the library, Bryt was with her friends in the hospital wing to visit Bill. Neville had been discharged already, but Bill was still recovering. He seemed to be fine, however, and had his same old personality. He just now had far too many scars and a taste for very rare meat.

Fleur was always there and, in fact, seemed almost determined not to leave Bill's side. Though Bryt wasn't sure she'd ever think of Fleur as a friend, the way she was with Bill now did make Bryt think that she didn't quite hate Fleur as she thought she did.

"I suppose I'm going to have to accept that he really is going to marry her," Ginny said with a sigh while they were in the common room the afternoon before Dumbledore's funeral.

"She's not bad," Harry said, then when Ginny glared, "Ugly, though."

Bryt smiled a bit and Ginny did as well. Hermione came back from the library and joined them in their little corner of the common room.

"Well, I suppose if Mum can stand it, I can," Ginny said. Bryt noticed an abandoned _Evening Prophet_ and picked it up, Ron leaning his head against her shoulder to read through the paper with her.

"Still no sign of Snape," Bryt said with a sigh as she put the paper back down.

"Of course there isn't," Harry snapped, "They won't find Snape till they find Voldemort, and seeing as they've never managed to do that in all this time..."

Bryt frowned, glancing at Harry. He became increasingly angry whenever Snape was mentioned. Truthfully, Bryt couldn't blame him. She wanted nothing more than for Snape to pay for what he had done. Dumbledore was larger than life. He was the greatest wizard of all time. And he was gone. All because of Snape.

"I'm going to bed," Ginny said suddenly as she stood up and yawned, "I haven't been sleeping that well since...well...I could do with some sleep."

Bryt knew exactly what Ginny meant. She'd barely slept more than a few hours at a time herself lately and it was always plagued by nightmares. Talking to Hermione about it helped her a bit, but Bryt knew she'd feel better once the Death Eaters were captured and Voldemort was gone.

Ginny kissed Harry lightly before heading up the stairs for the girls' dormitories. As soon as she was out of sight, Hermione turned to Harry with an odd look on her face.

"Harry, I found something out this morning in the library," she said quietly.

"R.A.B.?" Harry asked, looking eager.

"No," Hermione said with a shake of her head, "I've been trying, Harry, but I haven't found anything...There are a couple of reasonably well-known wizards with those initials—Rosalind Antigone Bungs...Rupert 'Axebanger' Brookstanton...but they don't seem to fit at all. Judging by that note, the person who stole the Horcrux knew Voldemort, and I can't find a shred of evidence that Bungs or Axebanger ever had anything to do with him...No, actually, it's about...well, Snape."

"What about him?" Harry snapped, sinking back into his chair again. Bryt glared at him slightly. She couldn't blame him for his hatred of Snape, but it was no reason to take it out on them.

"Well, it's just that I was sort of right about the Half-Blood Prince business," Hermione said as if she were afraid to admit this. Bryt stared at her. After everything that had happened, that was the last thing she expected to have been brought up.

"D'you have to rub it in, Hermione?" Harry snapped, "How d'you think I feel about that now?"

"No—no—Harry, I didn't mean that!" Hermione said, looking hurt as she glanced around to make sure no one could overhear, "It's just that I was right about Eileen Prince once owning the book. You see...she was Snape's mother!"

"I thought she wasn't much of a looker," Ron said and, again, Bryt found herself giving a small grin.

"I was going through the rest of the old _Prophets_ and there was a tiny announcement about Eileen Prince marrying a man called Tobias Snape, and then later an announcement saying she'd given birth to a—"

"Murderer," Harry cut in. Bryt nodded in agreement.

"Well...Yes," Hermione said awkwardly, "So...I was sort of right. Snape must have been proud of being 'half a Prince', you see? Tobias Snape was a Muggle from what it said in the _Prophet_."

"Yeah, that fits," Harry said with a sharp nod, "He'd play up the pureblood side so he could get in with Lucius Malfoy and the rest of them...He's just like Voldemort. Pureblood mother, Muggle father...ashamed of his parentage, trying to make himself feared using the Dark Arts, gave himself an impressive new name—_Lord_ Voldemort—the Half-Blood _Prince_—how could Dumbledore have missed—"

Harry cut himself off, looking out the window. Bryt watched him quietly for a moment as the silence hung around them. Bryt still didn't understand how Dumbledore had ever trusted Snape. How he could believe that Snape was sorry that people he hated were dead. And now that misplaced trust ended up getting him killed...

"I still don't get why he didn't turn you in for using that book," Ron finally broke the silence, "He must've known where you were getting it all from."

"He knew," Harry said sharply, "He knew when I used Sectumsempra. He didn't need Legilimency...He might even have known before then, with Slughorn talking about how brilliant I was at Potions...Shouldn't have left his old book in the bottom of that cupboard, should he?"

"Why didn't he ever turn you in?" Bryt asked curiously.

"I don't think he wanted to associate himself with that book," Hermione said, "I don't think Dumbledore would have liked it very much if he'd known. And even if Snape pretended it hadn't been his, Slughorn would have recognized his writing at once. Anyway, the book was left in Snape's old classroom, and I'll bet Dumbledore knew his mother was called 'Prince'."

"I should've shown the book to Dumbledore," Harry said with a sigh, "All that time he was showing me how Voldemort was evil even when he was at school, and I had proof Snape was too—"

"'Evil' is a strong word," Hermione whispered.

"You were the one who kept telling me the book was dangerous!" Harry added.

"I'm trying to say, Harry, that you're putting too much blame on yourself. I thought the Prince seemed to have a nasty sense of humor, but I would have never guessed he was a potential killer..."

"None of us could've guessed Snape would...you know," Ron said.

Everything fell silent between them again and Bryt leaned her head against Ron's chest, closing her eyes. Even with everything that had happened, how everything had turned out, she still felt somehow safe with Ron. His arms around her made her feel protected. Sitting like this, she could pretend the last few days didn't happen. She could pretend that tomorrow, she wouldn't be attending the funeral of one of the greatest men she'd ever known. That she would soon be going home to her parents and the questions they'd probably have for her.

But for now, those would not be on her mind. She'd just sit there in Ron's arms, pretending the world around her didn't exist. Things would be fine as long as she stayed right here. As long as she was with Ron. For a few moments, the world could be right.


	35. Plans

Bryt woke up the next morning after another bad night's sleep. She pulled on her dress robes, though she felt odd wearing something tan and orange to a funeral. Of course, she'd never been to a wizard funeral. The last one she'd been to was her grandparents' when she was nine.

She didn't feel as bad once she got downstairs and noticed the rainbow of colors of people in their own dress robes, however. Bryt immediately latched onto Ron again when she saw him and as they went to the Great Hall, she again looked around for her brothers, seeing Drew in between his two friends, then Mike sitting with his girlfriend and Natalie and Jimmy.

Breakfast was very quiet and no one ate much of anything. Bryt ate nothing at all, her appetite lost when she noticed the Minister of Magic and Percy Weasley were sitting at the head table. Ron seemed very displeased about his brother being there as well, taking it out on a piece of sausage on his plate.

After a very subdued breakfast, McGonagall announced it was time to head outside for the funeral—as Dumbledore was going to be buried near the lake—and for the four Houses to follow their Heads, with Slytherins following Slughorn.

Bryt kept her arm around Ron's as they walked outside where rows and rows of chairs were set up facing the lake and a large slab of marble. Bryt noticed many of the chairs were already filled with people she recognized. Shopkeepers from Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. Members of the Order. She saw Emily, Julio, and Sofí sitting on the edge of an aisle and Hermione immediately broke away to sit with them, though no one stopped her. In fact, there were several people splitting off from their Houses to sit with family members they saw. Bryt noticed Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sitting together with Bill and Fleur, with Fred and George nearby. Though Bryt sat with Ron, Harry, and Ginny further up. She was already planning to speak to Julio and Sofí later, and to ask Emily how her parents were doing. She could only read so much from a letter, after all.

Bryt looked around, seeing groups of people taking their seats. She suddenly gripped Ron's arm and glared when she noticed the figures of two people she despised were among a group of Ministry workers. Dolores Umbridge and Rita Skeeter.

'_What the hell are those two doing here?'_ Bryt thought. She felt her blood boil as she noticed Skeeter had a notebook in her hand and looked far too eager for someone at a funeral. If she got her hands on the woman...

An odd sound started echoing through the grounds and Bryt started looking around, realizing it was music. She heard Ginny whisper something and point towards the lake and she followed her gaze to see a group of merpeople just under the surface of the water. Bryt felt a slight chill, though it wasn't a bad one. The music was hauntingly beautiful, much like Fawkes's song a few nights before. Though the merpeople's song didn't sink down to her bones, Bryt still felt mesmerized by the sound and just sat there, staring at the rippling faces.

People started turning and Bryt snapped from her gaze and looked behind her, seeing Hagrid walking down the aisle, crying as he carried something long and wrapped in a purple fabric decorated in stars. Bryt gripped her hands into fists, knowing it was Dumbledore's body. Tears were threatening to spill again, but she was determined that she would not cry.

'_Snape did this,'_ she thought, letting her grief turn to anger, _'Snape is the reason Dumbledore is dead. He killed Dumbledore.'_

Hagrid slowly lowered Dumbledore's body onto the marble platform by the lake before retreating to the back of the crowd, where Bryt noticed with a jolt a giant was sitting. Though she had never met him, Bryt knew it had to be Hagrid's half-brother Grawp. After all, where else would there be a giant that seemed so tame?

The music suddenly stopped and Bryt turned back to the front where a short man was now standing in front of Dumbledore's body. He began a speech, but Bryt couldn't get herself to focus. Tears still threatened to pour and she was forcing herself to focus instead on the fact Snape had been the reason for Dumbledore's death. She was not going to let herself cry. She had not cried since she was nine and she was not going to let herself go now.

She knew she could cry. There was no reason not to. She was grieving the death of a great man. But after eight years of forcing herself not to, it was natural for her. She reacted without thinking to make herself angry so she would not cry. It was instinct for her now.

Bryt noticed Harry staring off towards the forest and she followed his gaze to see a group of centaurs half-hidden in the shadows. It seemed they, like the merpeople, had come to see Dumbledore off. Bryt couldn't help but thinking about running into the centaurs during a detention in her first year at Hogwarts, the same night she had seen the cloaked figure she later learned was Voldemort, relying on unicorn blood to survive until he could gain a body again.

Bryt couldn't help but wonder if they'd ever be able to defeat Voldemort. There were four Horcruxes out there, waiting to be found. She glanced at Harry next to Ron. She knew he was going to go after those Horcruxes. It wouldn't be like him to leave Dumbledore's work unfinished. She also knew he'd try to go at it alone. She realized with a start that she wasn't going to allow that. She had always known she was going to stick with Harry until the end, but it was slowly starting to dawn on her exactly what that meant. Heading out into danger, with the chance she would never see her family again.

Bryt looked back to the man speaking in front of them and thought about what Dumbledore would think about all of this. He had once sent Bryt, Harry, and Hermione back in time to save Sirius and Buckbeak from execution. He took Harry along to find the Horcrux that turned out to be a fake. He had allowed Harry to trust Bryt, Ron, and Hermione with every secret. Maybe he'd approve of them going with Harry, of making sure he made it through alive.

Finally, the man giving his speech finished and returned to his seat. There was a long pause, but no one else seemed to be willing to speak up. Bryt was just starting to wonder what would happen next when white flame suddenly erupted around Dumbledore's body and she jumped, staring in shock as they started to climb higher and higher until they disappeared as quickly as they came. In their place, now encasing Dumbledore's body, was a white marble tomb. Dumbledore's final resting place, right at the edge of the lake. On the grounds of the school he had devoted so much to.

Hundreds of arrows suddenly streaked through the sky, landing several feet away from where the crowd was sitting. Several people let out screams, then nervous laughs of reliefs. Bryt, again, looked to the forest where the centaurs were now retreating. She looked to the lake and saw the merpeople, too, had vanished.

People slowly started to get up and Bryt kept her arm around Ron's, the two of them heading to talk with the García siblings while Harry and Ginny remained behind.

"How're you holdin' up?" Julio asked. He currently had his arms around Hermione, who had her face hidden against his chest and crying softly. Sofí was standing nearby, uncharacteristically silent as she stared up at Hogwarts castle with an odd expression on her face, as if she were staring at something she'd seen in a nightmare. Though Sofí noticed Bryt looking at her and then the look was gone, replaced by Sofí's usual grin.

'_You're imagining things,'_ Bryt told herself. It was just the sun glare on Sofí's face. Nothing bothered Sofí, after all. Bryt turned towards Julio, forcing a smile of her own.

"I'm doing okay," she said, "Better than I expected, with everything going on."

"Mike and Drew?"

"They're fine, they've been staying with their friends," Bryt said with a sigh, looking around to try and spot her brothers, "It's good for them. No one should be alone with everything going on."

Ron was glaring nearby and she followed his gaze to see Percy the source.

"Ron, I want to hit him as much as you, but drop it," Bryt whispered, leaning against Ron slightly as she looked back to Julio and Sofí. Emily came over, giving Bryt a weak grin.

"How're my parents?" Bryt asked.

"Better than you'd expect," Emily said, "They're both worried. They know something is going wrong, but they still don't quite understand everything. They're eager for you, Drew, and Mike to be home."

"We're all eager to be home," Bryt said. In fact, the Hogwarts Express was going to be leaving for London within the next hour, though there were many people who were going to Apparate home with family. Bryt was one of those groups. Emily had already taken Bryt and her brother's trunks home earlier.

"It all seems so surreal," Julio said, "I only talked with Dumbledore once or twice, but to think that he's dead..."

"I know," Bryt said with a sigh, looking over to see Scrimgeour talking with Harry by the lake, "Wonder what that's about..."

"Maybe we should go see," Hermione said weakly. She looked up at Julio, "We'll be right back, okay?"

Julio nodded and kissed Hermione lightly. Sofí told them not to take too long and said she'd round up Mike and Drew. Bryt nodded and followed Hermione and Ron off towards where Harry had finally left Scrimgeour and was waiting in the shade of a nearby tree.

"What did Scrimgeour want?" Hermione asked.

"Same as he wanted at Christmas," Harry replied with a shrug, "Wanted me to give him inside information on Dumbledore and be the Ministry's new poster boy."

Bryt glared over towards where the Minister was. Dumbledore was just buried and he had already had another go at Harry. Did he even care that one of the greatest wizards of all time was dead?

Ron had been glaring off towards the crowd as well, but for a completely different reason.

"Look, let me go back and hit Percy!"

"No," Hermione said sharply, as if telling a child he couldn't have ice cream for dinner.

"It'll make me feel better!"

Despite herself, Bryt laughed. The first time she'd actually laughed in days. Even Hermione gave a small smile, but it was gone again quickly as she looked at Hogwarts in the distance.

"I can't bear the idea that we might never come back," she said quietly, "How can Hogwarts close?"

"Maybe it won't," Ron said, "We're not in any more danger here than we are at home, are we? Everywhere's the same now. I'd even say Hogwarts is safer, there are more wizards inside to defend the place."

"But you can't blame families for wanting to keep their children close by," Bryt said, "They'll just feel better knowing their children are with them."

"What d'you reckon, Harry?" Ron asked.

"I'm not coming back even if it does reopen," Harry said.

Ron stared at him in shock, but Bryt had been expecting this. Apparently, so had Hermione.

"I knew you were going to say that," she said, "But then what will you do?"

"I'm going back to the Dursleys' once more, because Dumbledore wanted me to. But it'll be a short visit, and then I'm gone for good."

"Where will you go?" Bryt asked, even though she already knew he was going to go after the Horcruxes.

"I thought I might go back to Godric's Hollow," Harry said, referring to the village he had been born in. The place his parents had died. "For me, it started there, all of it. I've just got a feeling I need to go there. And I can visit my parents' graves, I'd like that."

"And then what?" Ron asked.

"Then I've got to track down the rest of the Horcruxes, haven't I?" Harry said, looking towards the place where Dumbledore now rested, "That's what he wanted me to do, that's why he told me all about them. If Dumbledore was right—and I'm sure he was—there are still four of them out there. I've got to find them and destroy them, and then I've got to go after the seventh bit of Voldemort's soul, the bit that's still in his body, and I'm the one who's going to kill him. And if I meet Severus Snape along the way, so much the better for me, so much the worse for him."

Bryt stared at Harry. She didn't like the way he so casually talked about murdering Voldemort and Snape. Though she understood why—God, she definitely understood why—it seemed so strange coming from him.

"We'll be there, Harry," Ron said finally.

"What?"

"At your aunt and uncle's house," Ron gave a weak grin, "And then we'll go with you wherever you're going."

Harry opened his mouth to protest and Bryt grinned a bit.

"Did you really expect to do this alone?" she asked, "We've stuck with you for six years already. We're going to stay with you until the end."

"We've had plenty of time to turn back," Hermione added.

"We're with you whatever happens," Ron said, "But mate, you're going to have to come round my mum and dad's house before we do anything else, even Godric's Hollow."

"Why?" Harry asked, staring at Ron with a confused expression.

"Bill and Fleur's wedding, remember?"

Bryt stared up at Ron. It was so odd to think that a wedding was going to happen now, of all times. But at the same time, she couldn't help but think it was also a good thing. The world was going to hell. So why not enjoy what little light they could?

"Yeah, we shouldn't miss that," Harry said with a nod.

The three made their way back to where Emily was waiting with Julio and Sofí. Mike and Drew were waiting there, both having said goodbye to their friends. Reluctantly, Bryt realized it was time for her to head home. She knew the time was coming that she was going to have to explain to her parents what was happening. How she was soon going to be leaving. She couldn't tell them why, but she had to let them know it was necessary. She was going to help stop Voldemort once and for all.

She just hoped her parents would understand.

"I'll see all of you soon enough," Bryt finally said, turning back to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Bryt gave them all hugs, lingering with Ron longer than necessary and kissing him before she left with Emily and her brothers. Julio was staying behind to take Hermione home and Sofí said she knew that Bryt needed to just be with her family. Emily was going along to help with the side-along Apparition, but Bryt needed Emily to stay once they were home. She needed to talk with Emily as much as she did her parents.

Bryt's group made their way to the outside of the castle gates before she took Drew's arm, Emily taking Mike's. Seconds later, the four found themselves in an alleyway near Bryt's home and quickly made their way to the Watkins residence.

Mr. and Mrs. Watkins were waiting for them in the kitchen. When Bryt and her brothers came in, Mrs. Watkins jumped to her feet and hurried over, pulling her children into a hug and didn't seem to want to let go. Bryt hugged her back, squeezing her eyes shut to once again hold back tears that were threatening to spill that day. Soon, Mr. Watkins had joined in the hug and Bryt simply stood there, taking it in, trying to imagine the worry they were going through. They weren't magical, like Bryt, Mike, or Drew. They were Muggles being pulled along for the ride, dragged into a war simply because of who their children were. Bryt couldn't imagine the terror they had to be going through.

And she was planning on leaving them...

Too soon for Bryt, the family hug ended and Mrs. Watkins looked over at Emily, who Bryt was surprised and glad to see was still there.

"Thank you for bringing them home," she whispered.

"It's no problem, Amelia," Emily said, "I should get g—"

"Actually, wait Emily," Bryt spoke up before she could lose her nerve. She took a deep breath, looking from Emily's confused expression to her parents and brothers. Mike and Drew were frowning, though looked no different than they had the past few days. Mr. Watkins looked worried, an odd thing for the man who never seemed to have a care in the world. Mrs. Watkins was pale, fiddling with the bottom of her shirt, twisting and untwisting it in her hands. Bryt felt a small pang of recognition, knowing that was a habit she had started up herself since the loss of her bracelet. Having something so simple in common with her mother only made Bryt realize what was coming next would be even harder to get through.

Finally, she cleared her throat. She couldn't keep putting this off. It was for her family's own safety. The safety of the entire Wizarding world. She had to do this.

"There's..." Bryt started, her voice breaking slightly. She cleared her throat again, straightening herself up, "There's something I need to talk to you about..."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** And here ends Year Six. Only one more to go, which I hope to have up very soon. I've been looking forward to (and also dreading) the final installment of Through Muggleborn Eyes for quite some time. I hope you all enjoyed this one.


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